As Saskatchewan teachers prepare to vote on a tentative agreement reached with the province, it could mark the end of a labor dispute that dates back almost a year.
In May 2023, the initial round of talks between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the Government-Trustee Negotiating Committee began. From the beginning, teachers pushed hard for solutions that addressed class size and complexity. The issue was already being discussed in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced an early end to negotiations.
“Our withdrawal of these issues from this round of negotiations does not in any way indicate a resolution or a reduction in the importance of these issues,” then-STF President Patrick Maze said after the tentative agreement was reached in 2020. “Systematic changes take time and are often done incrementally. . “I believe we have made significant progress on this issue and the Federation is unwavering in its dedication to addressing classroom complexity and ensuring an adequately funded public education system in Saskatchewan.”
The 2020 agreement was later ratified and will be in effect until August 31, 2023.
Before the agreement expired, the government presented what it called a “fair agreement for teachers” in late June. It included a proposed three percent wage increase in the first year, two percent in the second year and another two percent in 2025, the final year of the agreement. But it failed to address the size and complexity of the classes.
This compares to the current interim agreement up for a vote, which includes a three per cent pay increase in the first year, three per cent in the second year and two per cent in the third year with pay backdated to September of 2023.
Negotiations continued quietly until July, when the STF published an update on “the government’s refusal to discuss solutions to problems of class size and complexity.”
Adding to the lingering issues, the STF also said it was “disappointed” by the initial salary offer and that negotiations would continue into the fall.
The two sides would reach a stalemate on October 16, resulting in a sanction vote in which 95 percent of teachers were in favor.. The breakdown of the talks also led the STF to present a conciliation appeal.
The Saskatchewan Conciliation Board heard from both sides for five days in December. The results were published in January and the STF stated that the report concluded that “teachers have the right to negotiate their working conditions.”
“As we have been saying, the working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students,” stated the current president of the STF, Samantha Becotte, at that time. “More recently, teachers in Quebec and Ontario have reached tentative agreements that include articles on class complexity. So this issue is not new.”
However, the committee representing the government and Saskatchewan’s elected school boards disagreed with the STF’s interpretation of the findings, insisting that negotiations remain focused on salary and benefits.
Shortly after the report was released, labor action began with a one-day strike on January 16, which continued to escalate after another round of failed negotiations in February.
Negotiations were reportedly brief and both sides blamed each other for the breakup.
In an unusual move, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe released a video ahead of the release of the provincial budget outlining “the largest increase in school operating funding ever seen,” but talks remained stalled. despite the STF’s calls for binding arbitration on the current issues surrounding classes. size and complexity.
Instead, it took until the end of March to draft a Memorandum of Understanding that would “establish the terms of an accountability framework to ensure that proposed educational funds reach classrooms and intended supports: directly benefiting students.” ”. “, according to a STF release in early April.
At that time, the STF said that the collective agreement must include the following text:
“The parties agree that the multi-year funding agreement and accountability framework will be followed and respected.”
Despite the apparent progress on the potential MOU, teachers would end up implementing a working policy to govern on April 5 amid another deadlock in talks.
The policy was suspended the following Friday and negotiations resumed, leading to the so-called “final offer” announced on Friday. The tentative agreement includes “a reference to the accountability framework in relation to a Memorandum of Understanding between the three parties.”
More details about the new agreement and what it contains are expected when Samantha Becotte addresses reporters at a press conference scheduled for Thursday morning.
— With files from Katherine Hill, Drew Postey, Josh Lynn, Caitlin Brezinski and David Prisciak.