Teachers have been picketing in frigid cold temperatures on their one-day strike to get the point across to the province that they want to get back to the bargaining table.
Executive member of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and Vice-Principal of Delisle Elementary, Amy Korver, said from the picket line at Midtown Plaza that there has been no movement since introducing their first contract proposal last May and it has been “incredibly frustrating”. She says they are fighting for the kids to get a better education and to have a better future.
Addressing class size and complexity is one of the main issues. Korver would like to see more investment in mental health supports for students, more counsellors, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists and educational psychologist along with more resources to deal with class sizes. She notes that a lot of students wait up to two years to get specialized attention.
Earlier this morning (Tues), STF’s President Samantha Becotte was joined by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation President, Heidi Yetman, to deliver over 3,300 letters to the Premier and Education Minister, submitted from teachers and parents across the province. Becotte adds that over 9,400 emails have also been sent from Saskatchewan people in the STF’s Tell Them Tuesday campaign.
All of the Saskatchewan NDP MLAs have joined picket lines across the province. Leader Carla Beck is visiting a number of sites, including a stop at Midtown Plaza this morning (Tues). She understands that the strike can cause disruption for parents and she blames the government for that disruption. Beck considers it disappointing that the government refuses to bargain on nine out of ten items that the STF is asking for. When it comes to class size and complexity, She explains that one of the issues is that the province won’t negotiate these issues, saying it can’t be addressed through collective bargaining, but the Conciliation Board ruled otherwise.