Sask. teachers resoundingly reject province's contract offer
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) members have voted to reject a con‐ tract offer after months of strife with the province.
The STF confirmed the re‐ sult Thursday evening, saying that 92.2 per cent of its members voted over the pre‐ vious two days, with 90 per cent of them rejecting the province's offer.
The STF said it has issued an invitation to the govern‐ ment's bargaining committee to resume negotiations this coming Monday. The STF also said it would host a news conference Friday at 10:30 a.m. CST.
"The message to govern‐ ment and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association is crystal clear: their so-called 'final offer' is unacceptable and does a disservice to stu‐ dents and teachers," said STF president Samantha Becotte in a release.
"We need a deal that guarantees the government's full, unwavering commitment to the future of public schools beyond the election cycle. Anything less is unten‐ able.
"We are nearing the end of a school year spent under the shadow of an intransi‐ gent government that seems to disregard the largest job sanctions ever undertaken by Saskatchewan teachers and ignore students' needs. No more backroom deals and no more 'final offers.'"
Minister of Education Jere‐ my Cockrill said he is disap‐ pointed in the result and called the offer fair, saying it reflected the best interests of students, teachers, parents and taxpayers.
"The best deal will be reached at the bargaining ta‐ ble, and both sides should immediately agree to return to the table and avoid any further sanctions that could jeopardize instructional time and important milestone events for Saskatchewan stu‐ dents," Cockrill said in a statement.
Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck also weighed in on the vote results, saying they send a clear message to the Saskatchewan Party gov‐ ernment.
"Teachers, parents and now even students know [Premier] Scott Moe doesn't care about education and are ready to do something about it. Our next generation de‐ serves better," Beck said in a statement.
Leading up to the vote The province's three-year collective agreement offer featured a three per cent salary increase in the first and second years, with the first increase retroactive to September 2023, and then a two per cent increase in the third year.
The core issues the STF and province have butted heads over during negotia‐ tions are class size and com‐ plexity.
The contract included an article stating that an ac‐ countability framework - laid out as part of a memoran‐ dum of understanding to en‐ sure provincial funding doled out to the Saskatchewan School Boards Association would benefit students would be honoured.
The STF and the govern‐ ment have struggled to come to an agreement since nego‐ tiations began last May.
Saskatchewan's 13,500 teachers have been without a contract since August 2023 and voted in favour of job ac‐ tion in October. Months of job action followed, including rotating strikes, work-to-rule action, and withdrawal from extracurricular activities and voluntary duties.
Once the deal was on the table, STF referred to it as a "final offer," but the province called it a "tentative agreement."
In a previous news re‐ lease, the government's bar‐ gaining committee called the contract offer "a fair and rea‐ sonable settlement that will benefit teachers, families and students."
Ahead of the vote, Becotte said she was maintaining a neutral position, although she still critiqued the province's bargaining com‐ mittee and strategies.
"They know what is best for themselves, what is best for their schools and what is best for their colleagues," she said.
Prior to the vote, Premier Scott Moe alluded to poten‐ tially extending the school year if it was rejected.
He said school divisions would have to make difficult choices about extending the school year by days or even weeks.
Becotte retorted that there's been more time lost to snow days than job sanc‐ tions.
"It's disappointing that they are really overstepping their role and trying to influ‐ ence the vote," she said.