Photo: courtesy of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan

A third of Saskatchewan small business say job action by teachers had a negative impact on their operations, according to a Canadian Independent Business survey.

Of that 33 per cent, 74 per cent say they experienced staff scheduling challenges, because employees with children had to leave work at different hours, or take days off to care for their children, which means owners have to work longer hours to make up for missing staff.

One business owner responded that the job action was hurting their business productivity, but they are also concerned for staff who need to choose between caring for their kids and earning an income to support their family.

Job action ended at midnight last Friday after teachers and the government agreed to go back to the bargaining table.  The most recent job action included province wide refusal to perform extracurricular activities including lunchroom supervision and volunteering for after-school events.

They majority of business owners agree that the government should use all tools available to avoid further disruptions.  Members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation will vote on the latest offer May 8th and 9th.