On Saturday the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) announced a one-day withdrawal of noon-hour supervision that will take place on Tuesday, March 5 at locations throughout the province.
This withdrawal includes PAATA members in the Prince Albert Catholic School Division and Saskatchewan Rivers School Division.
This follows a planned strike action at the Legislature that was announced on Friday.
“Government has ignored calls, emails, meeting requests and office visits from teachers, parents and concerned citizens. It will be awfully difficult for them to ignore us on Monday as they return for spring session,” STF President Samantha Becotte said in a release on Friday.
“Saskatchewan residents have sent over 110,000 emails to government and school board trustees since the beginning of January. In the face of this overwhelming support for the actions that teachers are taking for their students and publicly funded schools, it is deeply
troubling that government remains so intransigent in their position. Students, teachers and families in Saskatchewan deserve much better. When government is ready to listen and quit ignoring Saskatchewan parents, we are ready to work with them to find solutions that support the students in both today’s classrooms and the classrooms of the future.”
By law, 48 hours’ notice is required for job action; however, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is providing extra time to allow families to make arrangements and government to change course.
Along with Prince Albert schools, all schools in the Chinook School Division, Horizon School Division, Northern Lights School Division, Northwest School Division, Prairie Spirit School Division, Prairie Valley School Division, and Sun West School Division be affected.
Teachers are also set for a provincewide withdrawal of extracurricular activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. he provincewide withdrawal of extracurricular activities will begin with two full days on Tuesday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 6. This action means the withdrawal of all voluntary services involved in the organization, supervision and facilitation of activities, including athletics, non-curricular arts, clubs, field trips, student travel and graduation preparations.
Monday will mark the fourth day of rotating strikes since January, and the sixth consecutive day of job action since Feb. 26.
As of Friday, teachers have performed two days of provincewide strikes, six withdrawals of noon-hour supervision and two days refusing to facilitate extracurricular activities.
The Daily Herald contacted the Ministry of Education asking for an interview about the latest STF job action on . In response, the Ministry sent a statement arguing that STF leadership were choosing job action over getting a deal done.
“The Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) extended invitations every day last week to the STF to come back to the bargaining table, where negotiators had been waiting and were ready to engage in meaningful discussions,” the statement reads. “The government has moved on a number of items that the STF asked for, including a renewed salary mandate and workplace safety enhancements. The STF has refused to move off their initial proposals, including a 23.4 per cent salary increase.
“Outside of bargaining, government has proposed an agreement with the STF to annualize the $53.1 million in additional funding for class size and complexity. Since October, the STF has been at the bargaining table for a total of 30 minutes. Teachers and students should be in the classroom, and the teachers’ union should be at the bargaining table.”
-With files from Jason Kerr/Daily Herald
