‘Problematic’ to include class complexity in talks with STF, finance minister says

As teachers prepare to go on a second one-day strike, the province is showing no signs of changing its position.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Harpauer told reporters that she wanted the province’s teachers to go back to the negotiating table.

Harpauer reiterated the government’s stance on not wanting class size and classroom complexity to be included in its negotiations with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF).

“We recognize that it is an issue,” she said. “We are not disregarding that this isn’t a serious issue. That’s why we’ve committed, after the budget, $53.1 million to address this issue.

“However, it’s very problematic to have it at a collective bargaining table, in that they’re not the only profession that is in the education system.”

Harpauer added that the province believes other professionals would need to be hired to address the classroom complexity issues, and that managing the budget for complexities should be the responsibility of school divisions.

The STF organized a single-day strike on Tuesday to show the provincial government it was serious about its demands.

STF president Samantha Becotte said teachers will go on strike again on Monday.

Becotte said class sizes and complexity remain as sticking points in negotiations.

Consumer price index

Harpauer said part of the challenge of talks between the province and the STF come from the teachers asking for a salary increase plus consumer price indexing (CPI), which Harpauer said isn’t included in any of the province’s other bargaining agreements.

“One year of the teachers’ contract we can determine, but we have t0 depend on forecasters as what CPI would be in the future,” Harpauer said.

Becotte, on the other hand, said the issues are about more than just salary.

“The day after our first strike action, rather than acknowledging the outstanding efforts of teachers, the minister [of education] attempted to make it all about salary demands,” Becotte said. “If he had been paying attention, he’d know our job action was about so much more than that.”

Pilot projects

Harpauer touted the government’s new pilot projects as possible solutions to the concerns raised by the union.

She said that should they be successful, the government will consider expanding them to other schools.

“The whole purpose of having a pilot project is to find something that works. Do I think it’s going to be perfect right off the start? Probably not. There’s probably going to be some tweaking, some things to be learned going forward,” Harpauer said.

Harpauer said the class size and complexity is not unique to Saskatchewan and that teachers across the  nation have raised this issue.

Becotte had previously stated that the uncertainty of pilot projects doesn’t provide teachers with long-term assurances which is what they are seeking.