Job action is expected from teachers across Saskatchewan following conciliation meetings between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government, which ended in an impasse.
STF President Samantha Becotte broke the news Wednesday morning, saying the government has failed to move off its original position since negotiations began in May, refusing to budge on nine of the 10 issues the STF had put forward.
Becotte added that issues with class size, support for students, and violence in the classroom press on, and job action by teachers is now virtually inevitable.
Opposition Education Critic Matt Love says the government has never been serious about solving problems in classrooms such as size, complexity, and violence. He nods to the Province’s billboard campaign that went up over the summer, which he says aimed to vilify teachers. The billboards claimed the average salary of a teacher in Saskatchewan is $92,000.
“Teachers would dispute the information on those that misrepresented how much a teacher makes in Saskatchewan. The government has been unable to provide a source or any information to back up those claims,” urged Love. He says that any future disruption to learning that might take place as a result of this downfall falls on the feet of Premier Moe, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, and the Sask. Party Government. However, he says teachers aren’t the only ones impacted by the Sask. Party’s lack of listening.
“They’re failing to listen to nurses, they failed to listen to doctors and health professionals. They failed to listen to mental health experts on what’s best for young people, and now, again, they’re failing to listen to teachers.” Love says an NDP government would never leave teachers in such a desperate situation.
“What you would see, as far as a different approach from the Saskatchewan NDP, would be that we would seek to solve those (ten recommendations) at the bargaining table and away from the bargaining table. We have seen neither of those approaches from the Sask. Party Government. ”
Love calls on Scott Moe and the Sask. Party to get back to the bargaining table to minimize the disruption to learning across the province.
