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Province-wide job action is set to begin Monday after collective bargaining negotiations between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) once again broke down.
According to the province, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee proposed that both the STF and the GTBC could jointly request binding arbitration. The GTBC says the STF declined.
"Government is committed to getting a deal done to provide stability and predictability for students, families and the education sector," Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said in a prepared release.
"Binding arbitration represents the best path to get that done. Our priority is to ensure that instructional time and important student activities are not affected any further.’
Wednesday evening the STF officially gave 48-hour notice ahead of the start of ‘indefinite, province wide work- to-rule.’
“We have always agreed with what Minister Cockrill has stated many times – the best deals are negotiated at the table,” says STF President Samantha Becotte.
“We finally experienced real negotiations in the meetings held in May and want to build on that progress.”
The work-to-rule sanction being implemented on Monday requires STF members abide by the following parameters:
• Restricted workday.
o Arrive at their workplace 15 minutes before the start of the regularly scheduled school
day and exit the workplace 15 minutes after the regularly scheduled school day ends.
• Complete withdrawal of all extracurricular services.
• Withdrawal of all voluntary services outside the restricted workday.
o This means no voluntary services before school, during the noon hour, after school and in the evening.
• Withdrawal of noon-hour supervision.
o Members must leave their place of work during the scheduled noon hour.
The union says they will ‘suspend sanctions, if government is prepared to provide the GTBC with an adequate mandate to negotiate on these important issues.’
The impasse comes less than a week after the majority of teachers voted down a proposed collective bargaining agreement.