Sask. Teachers' Federation back at the bargaining table with the province

The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) says negotiations on a new contract offer with the provincial government resumed on Wednesday.

The Teachers' Bargaining Committee and Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee agreed to return to the bargaining table following discussions held Monday and Tuesday between the chairpersons of the respective committees, the STF said in a news release.

This round of negotiations on a new provincial collective agreement will also run on Thursday in Saskatoon.

The teacher's union rejected a contract offer from the province last week.

The STF said 92.2 per cent of its members voted on that offer, with 90 per cent of them rejecting the province's proposal.

The three-year collective agreement offer featured a three per cent salary increase in the first and second years, with the first increase retroactive to September 2023, and then a two per cent increase in the third year.

It also included an article stating that an accountability framework — laid out as part of a memorandum of understanding to ensure provincial funding doled out to the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) would benefit students — would be honoured.

STF President Samantha Becotte said last week the offer did not do enough to address growing issues related to class size and complexity. She added better increases to compensation are needed.

Saskatchewan's 13,500 teachers have been without a contract since August 2023 and voted in favour of job action in October. Months of job action followed, including rotating strikes, work-to-rule action, and withdrawal from extracurricular activities and voluntary duties.

STF members will be voting Wednesday and Thursday on whether to extend the union's mandate to implement sanctions, like work stoppages, beyond the current school year. The current mandate expires on June 30. The results will be shared on Thursday.

The STF has said it hopes to reach a new agreement at the bargaining table without further job action, but that it must prepare for possibility of the contract dispute continuing throughout the summer and into the next school year.