Teachers step up job action after arbitration rejected

Noon-hour supervision to be withdrawn in many divisions around the province

Saskatchewan teachers have given notice of two more days of rotating withdrawal of noon-hour supervision next week, a day after calls for the province to agree to binding arbitration were rejected by the provincial government.

While Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill has insisted issue around classroom size and complexity shouldn't be addressed in the new collective bargaining agreement, a news release from the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation highlighted a conciliator's report from January that validated its position that those issues can be negotiated because they relate to working conditions.

Any issue can be sent to binding arbitration if both sides agree to the process, said the news release, adding the provincial government's refusal to participate in arbitration means job action will continue.

Teachers in the North East School Division, Prairie Spirit School Division and the Regina Catholic Schools Division will be impacted by the withdrawal of noon-hour supervision on Monday, March 18.

On March 19, withdrawal of noon-hour supervision will involve schools from Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division, Good Spirit School Division, Île-àla-crosse School Division, Northern Lights School Division, Prairie South School Division, South East Cornerstone School Division, Sun West School Division, Living Sky and Light of Christ Catholic school divisions and Sakewew High School.

Teachers in those school divisions won't be available to supervise students who are eating lunch at school or taking part in noonhour activities.

LIAM RICHARDS FILES University of Saskatchewan professor Charles Smith says arbitrators usually find “middle ground” when imposing a settlement in labour negotiations. The Saskatchewan teachers' union has asked the government to accept binding arbitration as a way to end the contract dispute, but the minister has said no.

MICHELLE BERG FILES Teachers are keeping the pressure on the province to return to the bargaining table, announcing they will withdraw lunch-hour supervision in various divisions next week.