Teachers from local schools gathered in Melfort to picket as they seek a new contract with the province. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Picketing Teachers

Teachers across Saskatchewan picketing during provincial budget day

Mar 20, 2024 | 12:13 PM

Teachers across the province are on the picket lines Wednesday as the Provincial Budget is tabled in Regina.

Thousands of teachers are expected to picket at the Legislature as they seek to include classroom size and complexity as issues to be dealt with in their collective bargaining agreement with the provincial government.

Teachers that didn’t make the trip to Regina are picketing in several communities across the province, including Nipawin, Tisdale, and Melfort.

Teachers are seeking a deal that would have class size and complexity in its framework. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

“Teachers from across Saskatchewan are picketing today, trying to pressure the government on budget day to fund class size and composition and put it into the provincially negotiated contract,” North East Teachers’ Association (NETA) President Dave Rogers told northeastNOW.

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Rogers said the provincial government has struck committees and has been talking about class size and composition as far back as 2017. According to Rogers, nothing has come of the discussion except empty promises and negotiating the issue outside of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation (STF) contract.

“That’s why we feel as an organization, and as teachers, to meet the needs of our students it needs to be part of a provincially negotiated contract.”

Teachers are picketing during Provincial Budget day in Saskatchewan. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

The STF has proposed binding arbitration with the province to settle the contract, but the province was quick to refuse the proposal. Rogers said binding arbitration would help avoid job action, including the potential cancellation of extra-curricular activities. According to Rogers, if the provincial government believes in their position that class size and composition should not be included in the collective bargaining agreement with teachers, they shouldn’t be afraid to go to binding arbitration.

“I think the reality is they know that it’s already in five other provincial contracts and if it goes to… an arbitrator which is a neutral third-party that has no link to the government or to the teachers, that it’s going to end up in the contract,” said Rogers. “For them, it’s a stall tactic.”

Rogers thanks the northeast residents for their support of the teachers, with people honking horns in support of picketing teachers walking in local communities. He urges anyone with concerns about the job action to contact the officers of their local MLA’s, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, and Premier Scott Moe’s to voice their displeasure.

“Obviously 191,000 e-mails, letters, and phone calls haven’t been enough, but it’s really in (the government’s) hands and it’s time for them to step up and take responsibility for the situation they created.”

The STF has withdrawn extra-curricular activities for Thursday and Friday across the province, while one-day rotating strikes will take place Friday for members of the Horizon and Lloydminster Teachers’ Associations.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK