Teachers to Vote on Renewed Sanctions Mandate
On May 15 and 16, Saskatchewan teachers will vote on giving the STF Executive a mandate to implement sanctions beyond the current school year, as the existing mandate expires on June 30, 2024. The goal of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is to reach a new provincial collective bargaining agreement at the negotiating table without further interruptions to students and families, but after a year of strained negotiations, the STF must prepare for the possibility that government’s intransigence could continue into the next school year now that its final offer has been decisively rejected by teachers. The mandate resulting from the upcoming sanctions vote will be in effect until an agreement is reached.
“For reasons that are beyond understanding, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association seem committed to dragging this process out as long as they can, leaving students, teachers, families and the education sector in limbo,” says STF President Samantha Becotte. “Teachers want to teach, not strike. We want to be in classrooms, not picket lines. We want to focus on the success of our students, not fight tooth and nail for the bare minimum needed to do our jobs. But this is about more than what we want. This is about what’s right for Saskatchewan’s students, the sustainability of our profession and the future of publicly funded schools.”
In October 2023, teachers voted 95 percent in favour of job sanctions, giving the STF Executive and Teachers’ Bargaining Committee the authority to impose the sanctions they deem necessary, but this mandate expires on June 30, 2024.
Results of this sanctions vote will be shared with STF members and the public once voting closes on May 16. The Teachers’ Bargaining Committee has asked the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee to return to negotiations with a new mandate to bargain, and conversations are underway to determine a path forward at the bargaining table. No new sanctions will be employed while discussions are in progress. However, if talks break down, further job sanctions will be announced.
Nearly 500,000 emails have been sent to decision makers in government and local boards of education, urging them to bargain in good faith with teachers and work together to address the critical issues impacting Saskatchewan schools. To join this call, supporters are encouraged to sign up at tellthemtuesday.com.