STF preparing itself for possible strike vote: President

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is calling for a sanctions vote — which could result in educators walking off the job — after conciliation talks between the STF and the province proved unsuccessful this month.

The vote is to be held Feb. 10-11.

Speaking with Gormley on Friday morning, STF president Patrick Maze said the main points of contention are classroom size and composition as well as proposed salary increases.

“Over the last nine months we haven’t been able to secure a deal,” Maze said.

“That leads us to a point where basically the government is indicating … if (the STF) is to give you more, we have to see some action or at least we need to apply some pressure to get government to respond to the situations we’re dealing with in our classrooms.”

Hence the sanctions vote.

“Technically sanctions can mean everything, from absolutely nothing all the way up to a full walkout and a full strike,” Maze said.

Other examples could mean teachers doing rotating strikes and no longer being involved with extracurricular activities, like coaching sports teams.

The STF is calling for the sanctions vote prior to the release of a conciliator’s report stemming from meetings the sides held earlier this month.

Education Minister Gord Wyant said the government is disappointed the STF isn’t waiting for the result of the report.

“We would have expected the STF to wait for the conciliator’s report to come out before there’s a sanction vote. I think that’s typically the way things work,” Wyant told Gormley.

“I don’t think anyone wants to see teachers out on strike. It’s certainly not in the best interests of kids in the classroom,” the minister added.

Maze mentioned that in 2002, British Columbia negotiated a labour contract with its teachers that had provisions for class sizes and what types of students can be in a classroom.

Wyant said the Saskatchewan government believes that kind of approach doesn’t work, that it turns principals and school board members into enforcement-type people only interested in policing class sizes.

He said the government’s position is to let each school division in the province decide how it handles such matters, based on its unique circumstances.

“I would indicate that (government) has underfunded education in our classrooms, (including) supports for learning for our students and classroom size,” Maze said.

He added that the STF is asking for the salary increase of two per cent, three per cent and three per cent over the next three school years.

Maze the government is proposing increases of zero, two and two per cent in the same time frame.

He expects results of the votes to be made public at the end of February.