Teachers begin voting on extending STF mandate as contract dispute drags on
It’s another decision day for Saskatchewan teachers as they continue to fight with the province.
On Wednesday and Thursday, members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation will vote on whether to give the union a mandate to implement sanctions beyond this school year, as the existing mandate expires June 30. The results of the vote will be shared with members and the public after the voting closes.
Last week, the federation’s 13,500 members overwhelmingly voted to reject a contract offer from the provincial government. Union president Samantha Becotte said she wasn’t surprised that 90 per cent of teachers voted against the government’s proposal, which included an eight per cent pay increase over three years.
Since the dispute began, teachers have pushed for stipulations on class size and classroom complexity to be included in their contract. But despite increasing funding in the provincial budget to provide more support for teachers, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill has so far resisted including specific measures on class size and complexity in a contract.