Saskatchewan teachers will vote May 8-9 on what is being seen as the final contract offer from the province.
After months of battle dating back to the government’s offer which was on billboards during the summer, the main points before teachers are listed as:
- A three-year agreement
- Salary increases of three per cent in year one, three percent in year two, and two percent in year three with retroactive pay to Sep. 2023.
- Reference to the accountability framework of a Memorandum of Understanding among the three parties.
President of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Samatha Becotte says the bargaining process has “taken a toll” on teachers.
“The actions we have seen from the government, Saskatchewan school boards associations, and some division administrations have shown the lack of respect and appreciation for teachers in Saskatchewan and a lack of appreciation for the work that they do as professionals in classrooms,” says Becotte.
The union leader says relationships have been damaged and they will not be easily repaired.
The Sask NDP is calling the final teachers’ offer a take-it-or-leave-it proposal from the government.
Education critic, Matt Love says, “It’s disappointing.” He calls for “adequate, predictable, sustainable funding for school divisions and classrooms. We have not had that in this province for nearly a decade. We have gone from first in the country in funding – and we might now be in last place.”
Education minister Jeremy Cockrill sees teachers having a voice on the use of funding as being “a good thing” and adds “the government is serious about honouring” that, hence there’s a reference to the MOU in the contract.”