Teachers to pull out of extracurricular activities across Sask. on Monday
More job action is on the way from teachers in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) said Friday that its members will pull out of all extracurricular activities for a 24-hour period on Monday.
That includes sports, drama, music, band, science clubs, intramurals, rehearsals, student leadership activities, planning for graduation celebrations, books fairs, and other clubs and activities, according to the STF.
Teachers will also withdraw lunch time supervision in some areas of the province Monday:
- Northern Lights School Division.
- Northwest School Division.
- Prairie South School Division.
- Saskatoon Public Schools and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools.
- Living Sky School Division.
- Light of Christ Catholic School Division.
- Sakewew High School in North Battleford.
STF president Samantha Becotte said the job action is part of a plan to get the province back to the negotiating table.
“This government has the ability to pay, they have the ability to ensure that students are getting the supports that they need in classrooms all across the province. They just need the political will, and a lot of that political will comes from public pressure,” she said.
When students return to class after the February break, they won’t have teachers helping with their extracurriculars. The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation announced this as its latest round of job action.
One expert believes the STF is trying to strike a balance between staking out a position and maintaining public support.
“I think trying to find that balance is difficult and we never know, we might end up at a point where there is a full-scale strike, because that is what will put ultimate pressure on the employer. But for now, I think they’re trying to keep that balance,” said Charles Smith, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
During a news conference on Friday, Becotte confirmed that negotiations between the teachers’ federation and the province largely remain at a standstill.
The latest round of talks collapsed last week, and it’s not clear when — or if — they will resume.
Becotte said the mandate provided to the province’s government-trustee bargaining committee last week was disappointing.
It did not give negotiators latitude to address the key issues raised by the teachers: class complexity and class size.
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“We did communicate that to the GTBC that until they have the authority to engage in negotiations on classroom complexity that we would be declining their invitation,” Becotte said.
The teachers’ federation did not rule out taking broader job action, but said those announcements would come at a later date.
Smith questioned why the government has not made its messaging on class complexity and size clearer.
“The government, from day 1, said ‘having this in the contract is not what we want,’ but we’ve never heard the next question answered — at least I haven’t. Why can’t these issues be in in the agreement?” said Smith.
A statement from the Ministry of Education did not address questions about how provincial negotiators plan to address the impasse.
Instead, it pointed to how the ministry has invited the STF to the table every day this week.
“Since October, the STF has been at the bargaining table for a total of 30 minutes.… Unfortunately, the union continues to choose job action over bargaining,” the statement reads.
The ministry maintains that it has moved on a number of items including salary and workplace safety. It did not say anything about whether it is willing to move on class complexity.
Teachers in Saskatchewan have been without a contract since August.
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