Teachers’ Rotating Strike at Legislative Building Monday

Teachers are giving notice of a one-day rotating strike that will take place on Monday, March 4. By law, 48 hours’ notice is required for job action; however, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is providing extra time to allow families to make arrangements and government to change course.

A rotating strike is the withdrawal of all professional and voluntary services for a 24-hour period. Teachers will not report to school and will not perform any teaching-related duties on the day of a strike. Strike action will involve teachers who are members of the following local associations:

• Association Locale des Enseignantes et des Enseignants Fransaskois – École Mgr de Laval Pavillon Secondaire des Quatre Vents (Regina), École du Parc (Regina), École Mgr de Laval Pavillon Primaire (Regina), École Ducharme (Moose Jaw) and École Mathieu de Gravelbourg (Gravelbourg), École Beau Soleil (Gravelbourg), École de Bellegarde (Bellegarde)
• Holy Family Teachers’ Association – All schools in Holy Family Catholic School Division
• Prairie South Teachers’ Association – All schools in Prairie South School Division
• Regina Public Teachers’ Association – All schools in Regina Public Schools
• Regina Catholic Teachers’ Association – All schools in Regina Catholic Schools
• Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation – South Central Campus (Moose Jaw) and South East Campus (Estevan)
• South East Cornerstone Teachers’ Association – All schools in South East Cornerstone School Division

On Monday, striking teachers from the local associations listed above will gather outside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in Regina. This action coincides with the first day of the spring legislative session. Supporters can join teachers on the strike line between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“Government has ignored calls, emails, meeting requests and office visits from teachers, parents and concerned citizens. It will be awfully difficult for them to ignore us on Monday as they return for spring session,” says STF President Samantha Becotte. “Saskatchewan residents have sent over 110,000 emails to government and school board trustees since the beginning of January. In the face of this overwhelming support for the actions that teachers are taking for their students and publicly funded schools, it is deeply troubling that government remains so intransigent in their position. Students, teachers and families in Saskatchewan deserve much better. When government is ready to listen and quit ignoring Saskatchewan parents, we are ready to work with them to find solutions that support the students in both today’s classrooms and the classrooms of the future.”

Teachers understand that strike action is an inconvenience to many families. Parents and caregivers concerned about the impact of job action should contact their MLAs and elected school board trustees and ask them to encourage the government to provide their bargaining committee with a new mandate to negotiate in good faith on the issues that teachers are bringing forward. Individuals can visit www.tellthemtuesday.com to show support for the action teachers are taking.

STF President Samantha Becotte will be available to speak with media near the front steps of the Legislative Building at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 4.