Teachers vote to employ sanctions
No rural-urban split as members approve work-to-rule, job action, federation says
SASKATOON Overwhelming support for sanctions — including work-to-rule and job action — is a sign of “great resolve across the province” and shows there is no rural-urban divide between teachers, says the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. The STF on Monday announced that 90.2 per cent of approximately 13,500 members voted to allow their bargaining committee to employ sanctions. The STF said voter turnout on Feb. 10 and 11 was “exceptionally high” at 96.6 per cent. Earlier this year, the STF ended conciliation talks with the government-trustee bargaining committee, citing the province’s unwillingness to incorporate class size and composition in contract negotiations.
“The ministry and the minister have been at times, I think, trying to play this out as a rural-urban split issue. I think 90 per cent is pretty clear that this is an issue that is provincial in nature,” STF president Patrick Maze said Monday in an interview.
“It’s rural, it’s urban, it’s north, it’s south … There’s great resolve right across the province to support the efforts of the federation in getting supports into our classrooms.”
The STF, the Saskatchewan School Boards Association and the Ministry of Education plan to meet on Tuesday. Maze said he hopes Education Minister Gord Wyant recognizes teachers across the province are united when it comes to “standing up for their students.”
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe addressed the STF vote Monday in Saskatoon. “We respect that we need to engage, and engage very sincerely and we will do so,” he said. However, he said that commitment to engage stopped at adding clauses on class size and composition to the collective agreement with teachers.
The federation wants to incorporate a mechanism into the next contract that would limit class sizes. The province maintains the proposal is not workable and struck a committee to find solutions. The committee — to which the STF refused to send a representative — is expected to present its findings this spring.
The two sides have also been unable to agree on wage increases in the new contract. In negotiations, which began last spring, the government proposed a $1,500 bonus funded from teachers’ health plans followed by two per cent wage increases in 2020 and 2021. The STF wants three per cent in 2019 followed by a pair of two per cent raises.
Last month, Wyant said the province’s teachers should have had an opportunity to vote on a “pretty good” contract proposal before voting on whether to support job action.
NDP education critic Carla Beck said the high number of ballots cast and clear support for job action are indicative of the frustrations felt by teachers.
“They want to see (class size and composition) meaningfully addressed and they don’t have any confidence in the minister’s ability or willingness to do that with his little side table with the committee on composition,” Beck said.
Maze said he wasn’t surprised at the large majority voting in favour of sanctions, saying it “basically confirms the messaging” the STF has received from its members. After nine months of bargaining as well as a conciliation process that both ended with impasses, Maze said he doesn’t think the vote results would be a surprise to school divisions or their leadership.
“We’re pleased that teachers have the resolve to fix these situations and I think a 90 per cent sanctions vote indicates, basically, that overwhelmingly teachers are supportive of getting some sort of a fix to the situations we’re seeing in our classrooms,” Maze said.
Saskatoon Public Schools director of education Barry Macdougall, in a letter sent to students’ caregivers, said families should “be prepared should job action impact school operations. Our school division’s focus is on the safety of students and minimizing disruption to their learning … We are committed to maintaining the integrity of our classrooms and schools.”
Regina Catholic Schools (RCS) spokesperson Twyla West said the RCS is preparing for job action, whatever it looks like.
“Anything we do is because our top priority is the safety of students,” she said.
West said measures including closing schools, cutting back extra-curriculars, suspending lunch hour supervision or simply having half-day strikes were on the table, depending on what actions teachers take.
Sanctions could range from a strike to stopping noon-hour supervision to eliminating involvement with extracurricular activities. Maze on Monday reiterated the STF’S commitment to providing 48 hours’ notice before any action.
“It’s not something we take lightly,” Maze said. “There is some uncertainty in this process and I guess that’s what you get when government doesn’t live up to its responsibility to fund education for students’ success.”