Sask. teachers' union says labour disruption is 'virtually inevitable'
The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) says labour disruption is "virtually inevitable" after a lack of progress over five days of meetings with a labour ministry conciliation board.
In a message to its membership contained by CTV News, the union said it believes the provincial government's bargaining committee headed into the meetings with no new mandate "to negotiate on issues that are crucial to students and teachers."
"Government has squandered what is one their last opportunities to bargain seriously on the issues at hand and ensure there are no labour disruptions in the sector," the message said.
The STF is pushing to include language concerning matters such as class size and student supports in its new contract.
However, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC), which includes government and Saskatchewan School Board Association representatives, has maintained class size and composition are outside the scope of the negotiations and are decisions best left to school divisions.
The STF says that stance didn't appear to shift once the conciliation board got involved.
"The GTBC maintains that it has no interest in addressing the foundational elements of the way the sector works through the collective bargaining process. In other words, the government does not want to bargain on your working conditions," the message to union membership said.
The conciliation board was brought in after the STF officially declared an impasse in contract talks in October.
Following the declaration, STF members voted 95 per cent in favour of authorizing potential job actions up to and including a strike, with 90 per cent of members taking part in the vote.
In a news release sent to media on Wednesday, STF president Samantha Becotte said the government "has now set a course that makes job action by teachers – and the disruption that comes with it – virtually inevitable."
The union says will be "finalizing the strategy for implementing sanctions" as it awaits the conciliation board's final report which is expected to be issued by Jan. 15.
Since summer, the Saskatchewan government has touted a proposed seven per cent wage increase over three years, calling it a "fair deal" in a widespread advertising campaign.
In a statement sent in response to a CTV News interview request, the province reiterated its position on including issues such as class size student supports in the contract.
"The Government of Saskatchewan will not bargain away the ability of locally elected school boards to continue to make these decisions," the statement said.
In its statement, the province accuses the STF of "cancelling meetings and walking away from the table earlier in the process."
"I mean, they can be willing to sit down at the table. But if they're just going to continue to say no, that's not engaging in true negotiations," Becotte said in a Zoom interview Wednesday.
"If they're just gonna come and refuse to engage, it's it is a bit of a waste of time for both both sides of the table."
During a Dec. 4 news conference, Becotte said the federation's push to expand the talks beyond compensation isn't without precedent, citing similar examples in other Canadian jurisdictions.
The STF's most recent contract expired in August. It was signed in 2020 after a round of tense contract talks which saw teachers withdraw from voluntary extracurricular activities.
During her interview on Wednesday, Becotte said the public would likely get a 48-hour notice ahead of any job action.
"We're giving this government every opportunity to avoid any disruptions and if there are disruptions they are the ones that are responsible for it," Becotte said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who had sex with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi still missing after helicopter accident in mountains
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday, sparking a massive rescue operation in a fog-shrouded forest as the public was urged to pray.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.