Teachers to vote on `final' offer. What happens next?
STF head keeps mum on possible job action if agreement is rejected
With teachers poised to vote on a “final offer” from the province next week, questions around what happens after a decision is made have been front of mind.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) president Samantha Becotte said members remain disappointed that a tentative agreement couldn't be reached with the government-trustee bargaining committee (GTBC), a reality that has led to plans for a “final offer vote.”
She said attempts to negotiate with the province at the most recent bargaining session didn't pan out, and at the end of two days of talks earlier this month, the GTBC presented what was framed as the government's final offer.
“We made the decision as a bargaining team, along with our provincial executive, to take it to a vote,” Becotte said in an interview Wednesday. “We have always valued the voice of teachers.”
Since then, the STF has held virtual town halls for members that have been attended by thousands of teachers across the province, according to Becotte.
“We are doing our due diligence and making sure members have all the information and facts, and presenting in a neutral way,” so teachers can make an informed vote, she said.
If the majority of teachers vote in favour of what the province has proposed, the deal would get signed and the new contract would take effect.
If STF members reject the province's offer, Becotte said bargaining would continue and the current contract would remain in place until an agreement is made. When asked, Becotte wouldn't say whether more job action would take place.
Before 2017, if a final offer was voted down, an arbitrator would typically be used to make a binding decision. But amendments to the Education Act now require both parties to agree before binding arbitration is used. The province has repeatedly said that is not something it will consider.
Over the past several months, the STF has pushed for legislation to make the accountability framework legally binding, along with funding to address issues of class size and complexity.
But after nearly a year of negotiations, Becotte said not much headway has been made, a stalemate that has been the main driver of job action.
“There's a reference to the accountability framework within the offer they provided to include one line saying the memorandum of understanding (MOU) would be followed and honoured,” said Becotte.
The MOU itself is a non-binding agreement.
Becotte says improved benefits and an increased salary of eight per cent over three years are also part of the province's current offer.
The Ministry of Education did not respond by deadline to requests for comment on what will happen if teachers vote against the offer.
While job action has ceased for the time being, Becotte said teachers are still feeling burnt-out and fatigued as negotiations approach the one-year mark.
“Teachers have been burning out for a number of years now due to the working conditions they're placed in,” she said. “Layer on top of that a very contentious bargaining round ... it is absolutely taking a toll on them.”
Two more town halls for STF members are scheduled for this evening and next Monday night.
Members across the province will vote on the offer on May 8 and 9.