Saskatchewan students walked out of class and came to the legislature to support their teachers looking for a new contract.A sign promoting the "Regina Wide Student Walkout" was posted to Twitter ("X") to promote the event."This Friday, 1:45pm till 3pm. Come down to the legislative building. Your teachers are fighting for you, its (sic) time you fight for them," read the sign."It's time to show - 'when combined' we hold the power -- not the gov't. . . . Evil will triumph, when good folks do nothing."The sign clarified that the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) was not behind the event. It also asked kids to "keep it classy," "avoid anger and aggression" and ask parents to support and join them.February 1 was the third day of striking by the union, following two one-day, province-wide strikes on January 16 and January 22. The most recent job action included east-central Saskatchewan, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Prince Albert and the North Battleford area.Saskatchewan has 13,500 teachers. In a press release, STF President Samantha Becotte claimed the government had deaf ears.“Where is the Minister of Education? People are doing everything they can to bring their concerns to his attention, but he still refuses to listen,” said Becotte.“Saskatchewan people have sent over 30,000 emails to government in less than three weeks and these are just the emails we know of. When this government received 18 letters from parents this fall, they called an emergency session of the legislature to invoke the notwithstanding clause and circumvent the constitution. They only seem concerned about the issues that fit within their political agenda. It is mystifying that they believe this can continue.”The Saskatchewan Party government has issued a series of memes to Twitter ("X") to distinguish myth from reality.The provincial government offered the teachers a 7% increase over three years, but the STF wants a 23.4% increase. This includes 2% increases over 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 plus cost-of-living increases. Consumer price indexes in 2022 were 6.6%, followed by 4% in 2023. They are expected to be 2.5% in 2024 and 2.3% in 2025.Against claims education funding has been cut, the province says school operating budgets have risen by 47% since the Sask Party took power in 2017, outpacing the 16% increase in enrollment. Claims that nothing had been done to address class size and complexity are countered by $53.1 million granted to school divisions for this very purpose.Calculations by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation based on Statistics Canada data suggest the average Saskatchewan teacher makes $92,000 per year, or $484 per instructional day.
Saskatchewan students walked out of class and came to the legislature to support their teachers looking for a new contract.A sign promoting the "Regina Wide Student Walkout" was posted to Twitter ("X") to promote the event."This Friday, 1:45pm till 3pm. Come down to the legislative building. Your teachers are fighting for you, its (sic) time you fight for them," read the sign."It's time to show - 'when combined' we hold the power -- not the gov't. . . . Evil will triumph, when good folks do nothing."The sign clarified that the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) was not behind the event. It also asked kids to "keep it classy," "avoid anger and aggression" and ask parents to support and join them.February 1 was the third day of striking by the union, following two one-day, province-wide strikes on January 16 and January 22. The most recent job action included east-central Saskatchewan, Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Prince Albert and the North Battleford area.Saskatchewan has 13,500 teachers. In a press release, STF President Samantha Becotte claimed the government had deaf ears.“Where is the Minister of Education? People are doing everything they can to bring their concerns to his attention, but he still refuses to listen,” said Becotte.“Saskatchewan people have sent over 30,000 emails to government in less than three weeks and these are just the emails we know of. When this government received 18 letters from parents this fall, they called an emergency session of the legislature to invoke the notwithstanding clause and circumvent the constitution. They only seem concerned about the issues that fit within their political agenda. It is mystifying that they believe this can continue.”The Saskatchewan Party government has issued a series of memes to Twitter ("X") to distinguish myth from reality.The provincial government offered the teachers a 7% increase over three years, but the STF wants a 23.4% increase. This includes 2% increases over 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 plus cost-of-living increases. Consumer price indexes in 2022 were 6.6%, followed by 4% in 2023. They are expected to be 2.5% in 2024 and 2.3% in 2025.Against claims education funding has been cut, the province says school operating budgets have risen by 47% since the Sask Party took power in 2017, outpacing the 16% increase in enrollment. Claims that nothing had been done to address class size and complexity are countered by $53.1 million granted to school divisions for this very purpose.Calculations by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation based on Statistics Canada data suggest the average Saskatchewan teacher makes $92,000 per year, or $484 per instructional day.
