An end in sight? Cockrill prepares a new proposal for STF

The fight between the Saskatchewan government and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation may be entering its final round.

On Friday morning, the federation announced more sanctions affecting extracurricular activities across the province from Monday through Thursday.

Just hours later, Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan’s minister of education, responded.

“I am extremely disappointed by today’s decision by the union of leadership to continue targeting extracurricular activities across our province,” Cockrill said in a statement.

While he expressed his disappointment, the education minister’s comments also provided a potential light at the end of the tunnel for those affected by the ongoing dispute.

“As I indicated publicly (Thursday), work has been underway to find a path forward with the teachers’ union,” Cockrill said. “Not only have we moved on many of the items that the STF has asked for, but we are also prepared to create an accountability framework connected to the historic multi-year funding agreement.”

Cockrill promised he will have more to say next week.

The funding agreement between the government and Saskatchewan School Boards Association guarantees a base amount of $356.6 million for classroom support over the next four years in order to address issues around class size and classroom complexity.

Those issues have been primary sticking points for the federation, which has insisted the funding be built into a collective agreement so it can’t be clawed back by the government down the road.

Federation president Samantha Becotte was participating in a virtual news conference Friday when she found out about Cockrill’s offer for the first time.

Becotte said the statement provides some hope that the dispute will soon come to an end.

“This is a step forward – that is part of what we’re seeking,” said Becotte.

“But we want to ensure that teachers are a part of that process … They are the ones who are working with students day in and day out. They understand the needs of their classroom. They understand the needs of their school.”

Becotte noted she is cautious about the proposed deal.

“There has been a significant amount of trust lost from teachers across the province,” she said.

Becotte said the federation wants to know that the needs of kids will be a priority for the government, and said another announcement from the union will be issued on Friday afternoon in response to Cockrill’s statement.