The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation will have indefinite work-to-rule job action starting Mondayafter a breakdown in contract negotiations with the province.An STF press release said, during a meeting held Wednesday, the Teachers' Bargaining Committee "put forward several paths for continued negotiations; however, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee refused to consider anything other than binding arbitration."The work-to-rule sanction being implemented on Monday requires STF members abide by a restricted workday. This means they arrive 15 minutes before school starts, leave 15 minutes after the school day ends, and also leave school for the noon hour. Teachers won't help with extracurriculars or volunteer before or after hours either.The STF executive recommended their membership to accept a contract offer from the province that included provisions around classroom size and complexity, as well as annual pay increases of 3%, 3%, and 2% beginning with the current school year. Teachers refused the offer with 55% voting against.The province proposed binding arbitration, but the teacher's union refused.In a press conference Thursday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill expressed disappointment."There's clearly some sort of divide between the STF leadership and the membership on this. And so, I think it's a good opportunity for a fair and third party process to come in and figure out how to get a deal done and really provide certainty for students and families going forward," Cockrill said.At a previous impasse in negotiations, the STF proposed binding arbitration take place on the issue of putting classroom size and complexity in a binding contract. The province refused.STF President Samantha Becotte says the union wants to talk this one through.“We have always agreed with what Minister Cockrill has stated many times — the best deals are negotiated at the table,” Becotte said in a press release.“We finally experienced real negotiations in the meetings held in May and want to build on that progress.”
The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation will have indefinite work-to-rule job action starting Mondayafter a breakdown in contract negotiations with the province.An STF press release said, during a meeting held Wednesday, the Teachers' Bargaining Committee "put forward several paths for continued negotiations; however, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee refused to consider anything other than binding arbitration."The work-to-rule sanction being implemented on Monday requires STF members abide by a restricted workday. This means they arrive 15 minutes before school starts, leave 15 minutes after the school day ends, and also leave school for the noon hour. Teachers won't help with extracurriculars or volunteer before or after hours either.The STF executive recommended their membership to accept a contract offer from the province that included provisions around classroom size and complexity, as well as annual pay increases of 3%, 3%, and 2% beginning with the current school year. Teachers refused the offer with 55% voting against.The province proposed binding arbitration, but the teacher's union refused.In a press conference Thursday, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill expressed disappointment."There's clearly some sort of divide between the STF leadership and the membership on this. And so, I think it's a good opportunity for a fair and third party process to come in and figure out how to get a deal done and really provide certainty for students and families going forward," Cockrill said.At a previous impasse in negotiations, the STF proposed binding arbitration take place on the issue of putting classroom size and complexity in a binding contract. The province refused.STF President Samantha Becotte says the union wants to talk this one through.“We have always agreed with what Minister Cockrill has stated many times — the best deals are negotiated at the table,” Becotte said in a press release.“We finally experienced real negotiations in the meetings held in May and want to build on that progress.”
