An arbitration board has ruled that class complexity will be included in a new collective bargaining agreement between the provincial government and teachers, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) announced on Tuesday.
In a virtual media availability on Tuesday morning, STF President Samantha Becotte said the classroom complexity issue has been brought forward for 10 years in negotiations. She said the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee argued that it was not a part of the provincial negotiations.
“We now have a clear direction from our panel that classroom complexity not only can be within the scope of provincial bargaining, but it will be with the scope of our provincial collective agreement,” Becotte said.
She said that they are reviewing and analysing the decision to provide more detailed information to their membership.
“I want to express my thanks to everyone who has supported this process over the last two years,” she said. “Parents and students teachers and other education workers, business owners and members of the public who may be directly or indirectly connected to public education sent a message that public education and supporting all of our students and their unique needs must be a priority in Saskatchewan.
“Today we took our first step forward in ensuring that schools and classrooms across the province have improved learning conditions for our students and working conditions for teachers.”
Becotte said that the news of the decision had just been released Tuesday morning and she had not been in contact with the Education Minister, but was happy to have conversations.
The decision stated that the issue of class complexity will be in the agreement. However, the language that will be used has yet to be determined, and that will need to be decided between the bargaining committees.
The Government and STF agreed in June to pursue binding arbitration after a year of bargaining standoffs and significant job action on the part of the STF.
The arbitration panel, appointed in July, was tasked to consider issues of wage and the class-complexity framework, both of which were the main sticking points of the bargaining parties’ year-long impasse.
Addressing class complexity as a workplace condition was a major part in the STF’s demands, while the government-trustee bargaining committee (GTBC) held firm that it was not to be included in a labour contract.
In its decision, the Arbitration Board directed the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee and Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee to agree on collective agreement language for the class complexity provisions. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement, it will be referred back to the Arbitration Board.
Before agreeing to binding arbitration, teachers had previously rejected two contract offers from the GTBC in the spring — the first by more than 90 per cent and the second by 55 per cent of membership
The agreement runs until August 31, 2026, which means the next round of negotiations between the two sides will be starting up again in a short time.
“It is unfortunate that we have just one year left remaining of this contract,” Becotte said. “It would have been nice if the negotiations process had been resolved a little bit earlier. At the
same time, the article around classroom complexity provides us a clear direction that it can be negotiated.”
The final offer on the table included an eight per cent salary increase over three years and a one per cent market adjustment, plus the addition of a task force on classroom complexity and a accountability framework for a promise from the provincial government for classroom complexity funding.
The additional $18 million per year in targeted funding, which has increased to $20 million, was offered via a memorandum of understanding outside the collective agreement, endorsed by the Saskatchewan Schools Boards Association during negotiations.
It also includes provisions to hire additional teachers. These teachers will provide support to classroom teachers to address issues of class complexity.
Daniel Ish, formerly a University of Saskatchewan law professor and dean, was appointed as an arbitrator in the fall. Alongside Ish on the panel is STF nominee Dawn Harkness, a retired Saskatoon teacher and principal and now sessional lecturer, and GTBC nominee Greg Chatlain, former director of education for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools.
Both the STF and GTBC presented arguments for their respective positions to the panel over three days in December.
According to the STF in a press release prior to this, the collective agreements of every teacher organization in Canada, except for Alberta and Saskatchewan, contain clauses directly addressing class size, class composition and/or violence-free work environments.
A class complexity fund of $20 million per year will be in addition to all other provincial funding. On the issue of salary, teachers have been awarded an increase of nine percent over three years: 4 percent retroactive to September 1, 2023; 3 percent retroactive to September 1, 2024; and 2 percent as of September 1, 2025.
In a statement emailed to the Daily Herald Minister of Education Everett Hindley thanked the arbitrator for his work and said that they were pleased that the report was largely in line with what was offered in the previous tentative agreement.
“We are looking forward to getting the agreement ratified and moving forward to working on common goals that create the best possible learning environment for Saskatchewan students such as improving k-3 literacy in Saskatchewan schools,” Hindley said.
In a statement also emailed to the Herald NDP Shadow Minister for Education Matt Love said they were glad to see classroom complexity included as a new article in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“This is an important first step that educators and the Opposition have long been fighting for.
After 17 years of the Sask. Party, Saskatchewan is ranked last in Canada for education funding. We need to get Saskatchewan out of last place on education. The Sask. Party has a chance to do just that in the upcoming provincial budget. Our kids only get one shot at a good start in life. They deserve a bright future,” Love said.
Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association (PAATA) President Jean-Marc Belliveau declined a request for an interview.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
