Achi news desk-
Saskatchewan teachers voted overwhelmingly “no” to a proposed deal that would have marked the end of a nearly year-long labor dispute.
The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) says 92.2% of members voted, with 90% of those voting no.
“The message to the government and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association is clear: their so-called ‘final proposal’ is unacceptable and does a disservice to students and teachers,” STF president Samantha Bacot said in a press release sent out Thursday evening.
According to the announcement, the teachers’ negotiating committee has extended an invitation to the Government-Loyalty Negotiating Committee (GTBC) to return to the negotiating table on May 13 and 14. If the GTBC accepts the invitation, the teachers “will not immediately return with sanctions.”
“We need a deal that guarantees the government’s full and unwavering commitment to the future of public schools beyond the election cycle. Anything less is intolerable,” Bakot said in the release.
The STF said the proposed deal was presented as a “final offer” while the district classified it as a “tentative agreement”.
The deal would have seen an eight percent salary increase over three years, three percent in the first two years and two percent in the last year of the deal – with retroactive pay until September 2023.
The size of the class and the complexity of the class were not addressed in the proposal itself – but a line was included referring to a funding agreement signed by the district with the school divisions.
The agreement contains an “accountability framework” that the district says will address sustainable funding concerns on the part of teachers.
Bekot is scheduled to hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. Friday to discuss the results of the vote and the STF’s way forward.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, Education Minister Jeremy Coquille expressed his disappointment with the results of the vote.
“The best deal will be reached at the bargaining table, and both parties should immediately agree to return to the table and avoid any additional sanctions that could jeopardize instructional time and important milestone events for Saskatchewan students,” the statement said.
The two sides began bargaining at the end of May 2023. The last Saskatchewan teachers’ contract expired in August of that year.
The STF declared an impasse in October and voted overwhelmingly in favor of job actions shortly thereafter.
The work action officially began in January and included alternating one-day strikes, the suspension of supervision and out-of-school activities, and “work to control.”
