SASKATOON – Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation have announced they will launch rotating full day strikes at a number of school divisions on Feb. 1.
This will be the third round of job action by the teachers following two one-day provincial strikes that took place in January. The rotating strikes will impact approximately 35,000 students in the following school divisions:
Holy Trinity Teachers’ Association, impacting Holy Trinity Catholic School Division schools;
Horizon Teachers’ Association impacting Horizon School Division schools;
Prairie South Teachers’ Association impacting all Prairie South School Division schools;
Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association impacting all Prince Albert Catholic School Division schools;
All Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division schools;
Tri-West Teachers’ Association impacting all Light of Christ Catholic School Division schools and Living Sky School Division schools;
Sakewew High School in North Battleford.
Strike action includes Conseil des écoles fransaskoises schools that fall within the above geographic boundaries, and Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre teachers who work at a school or regional campus within the above geographic boundaries. Those Conseil des écoles fransaskoises locations that are impacted include the following:
École Ducharme, Moose Jaw - Prairie South Teachers’ Association
École Mathieu de Gravelbourg, Gravelbourg - Prairie South Teachers’ Association
École Beau Soleil, Gravelbourg - Prairie South Teachers’ Association
École Père Mercure, North Battleford - Tri West Teachers’ Association
École St-Isidore, St. Isidore-de-Bellevue - Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association
École Valois, Prince Albert - Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association
The following Sask DLC Regional Campus are impacted:
North Central Campus, Prince Albert - Prince Albert and Area Teachers’ Association
South Central Campus, Moose Jaw - Prairie South Teachers’ Association.
Along with the job action, the union says an Advocacy Day is also planned on Thursday. All parents, students, businesses and community members can register to take part.
In announcing the further job action, STF President Samantha Becotte accused the government of continuing to “refuse to negotiate on the items important to teachers.”
“Not only do they refuse to negotiate with teachers, the majority of Sask Party government seems to be missing in action over those weeks.”
Becotte also continued the union’s call to have classroom size and complexity be included in the negotiations, something the government continues to push back on. She accused the government of continuing to “play political games” and of returning to “its sad old playbook.”
She said the government’s announcement of a short term pilot project, their “one time funding announcements”, and any potential funding agreements that are announced in the budget or in any election promises, are “all attempts to sidestep the bargaining process and avoid making long-term commitments that would see improvements in our schools and classrooms across the province. …. We will not accept any empty promises.”
