Writing & Submitting
Resolutions or Notices of Motion
Who May Submit a Resolution or Notice of Motion
Any STF member or group of members may submit a resolution or notice of motion for consideration by the Council.
The name(s) of the local, organization, person or group of persons submitting the resolution will be given with the resolution when it is published in the Elections and Resolutions Information booklet. At Council meetings, the mover(s) will be invited to open the debate on the resolution or notice of motion in small group and plenary sessions. If the mover(s) are not councillors, councillors from the local representing the mover(s) will be invited to open debate.
Forms
You must submit each resolution or notice of motion in writing to the Resolutions Committee, providing a name and contact number that the Committee can use if issues or questions arise related to the resolution or notice of motion.
To facilitate the submission of resolutions and notices of motion, you may click here to download a pdf of all the forms listed below or submit the resolution electronically by using one of the links below.
- Submission of Resolution Form
- Submission of Notice of Motion Form (STF Bylaws/Teachers’ Federation Act, etc.)
- Submission of Notice of Motion Form for Change to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan
Resolutions must be received in the STF Saskatoon office by 5:00 p.m. on February 15, 2009.
For learn more about writing and submitting resolutions, see:
- Resolution Topics
- Directing the Resolution Clearly
- Format & Wording
- Explanatory Comments
- Background Information
- Framing as a Resolution or Notice of Motion
- Pension Plan Changes
Resolution Topics
A resolution will be accepted by the Resolutions Committee only if it falls within the agenda set for the Council meeting. While resolutions on any topic may be submitted to the Annual Meeting of Council, only resolutions related to the agenda for a Special Meeting may be considered at that meeting. In accordance with STF bylaws, the agenda for the Special Meeting in October is communicated to councillors in September.
A resolution may be submitted to Council on any issue, large or small. As you would expect, most resolutions that come to Council deal with some facet of education, relate directly to teachers or students and are consistent with the legislated purposes of the STF. However, should a resolution come forward that directs the STF to an action or policy that is outside its jurisdiction as defined in The Teachers’ Federation Act, 2006, it will be rejected by the Resolutions Committee.
In addition, it is expected that the resolutions submitted to Council will be generally consistent with the role of Council as the policy-maker and guide of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation. Councillors are expected to recognize and deal appropriately with any resolutions that ask Council to make administrative or executive decisions outside its role. To give just two examples of such decisions, it would be inappropriate for Council to be involved in collective agreements with STF staff or set management policies for STF funds. The provincial Executive has been authorized by Council to make necessary housekeeping changes to policies and bylaws. A list of such changes shall be presented as a block to all councillors at the Councillor Conference or Annual Meeting of Council for ratification.
Directing the Resolution Clearly
Each resolution or notice of motion should state clearly who is to do what. The noun following the words, BE IT RESOLVED, directs the resolution to an individual or organization, while the verb indicates the action being sought from that individual or organization. Resolutions are most effective when directed as specifically as possible. For example, a resolution directing teachers to teach something is not as effective as a resolution directing the STF to lobby the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education for a desired curriculum change.
In directing your resolution appropriately, it is helpful to keep in mind that Council has the power to give direction to the STF, not other organizations or agencies such as the Ministry of Education or boards of education. Consequently, most resolutions passed by Council ask the STF, or some part of the STF, to adopt an action, position or policy. If the goal of your resolution is to influence someone other than the STF, you need to frame the resolution in a way that indicates what you would like the STF to do to further that goal, e.g., BE IT RESOLVED that the STF urge boards of education…, BE IT RESOLVED that the STF negotiate…, or BE IT RESOLVED that the STF communicate to the Government of Saskatchewan….
When you direct a resolution to the STF, you are directing it to the entire bi-level organization representing Saskatchewan teachers, not just the provincial organization. Local associations work with the provincial organization in the implementation of policies and directions established for Saskatchewan teachers at Council. In practice, the provincial Executive reviews all resolutions and notices of motion from each Council meeting and approves plans for addressing them as part of the annual STF Strategic Plan. These implementation plans, which are reported back to councillors in December in the 2008 Council Resolutions: Progress Report, may or may not request specific involvement from local associations. Nevertheless, while the provincial organization provides significant leadership in the implementation of Council resolutions, locals are also guided by Council and have responsibility for carrying out STF policies.
Format & Wording
Effective resolutions are concise and to the point. They are a mechanism for giving clear, unambiguous direction with respect to a policy or an action. Arguments for the resolution should not be part of the resolution itself.
Policy resolutions put forward a statement of belief for Council to adopt on behalf of teachers. Policies adopted by Council are incorporated into the STF Governance Handbook to provide ongoing guidance to STF members and teacher leaders. Policy resolutions are directed to the STF and generally direct the organization to adopt, delete or amend a policy. Given below are examples of three different policy resolutions passed in 2007:
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF add Policy 4.16 on Local Associations. (New policy given in full).
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF Policy 4.2 on Elections to STF Office be replaced. (New policy given in full).
BE IT RESOLVED that STF Bylaw 5.2 on Establishment [of Local Associations] be replaced. (Amended bylaw given in full).
BE IT RESOLVED that draft STF Policy 4.2.1(3) be deleted effective immediately. (Provision to be deleted from draft policy given).
Action resolutions vary tremendously but identify clearly who is involved in the resolution and the action to be undertaken. Some action resolutions passed in 2007 included the following:
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF lobby the Government of Saskatchewan to permanently reduce the number of days in the school year to 196.
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF direct the Strategic Advisory Committee on Economic Services to study teachers’ rights and responsibilities in the event of a world wide pandemic.
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF negotiate changes to the Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement so that each staff member in a school be counted as one full-time equivalent for administrative allowance purposes.
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF strongly urge the CTF to lobby the Government of Canada to allow teachers to declare the cost of materials purchased for the classroom as a tax deduction.
Certain conventions have developed regarding the phrasing of Council resolutions, including the appropriate way to refer to various agencies and organizations. Reference to the Elections and Resolutions Information booklet will assist you in recognizing and using these conventions. Some accepted names and acronyms are given below for organizations often named in resolutions:
Organization |
Accepted Term |
| Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation | STF |
| Canadian Teachers’ Federation | CTF |
| Ministry of Education | the provincial ministry (or minister) responsible for Pre-K-12 education |
| Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan | STRP |
| League of Educational Administrators, Directors and Superintendents |
LEADS |
| Saskatchewan School Boards Association | SSBA |
| Government of Saskatchewan | Provincial government |
| Government of Canada | Federal Government |
| Teachers’ Bargaining Committee | bargaining team |
| Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement | Provincial Collective Agreement |
| Health Plan | STF Members’ Health Plan |
| Dental Plan | Teachers’ Dental Plan |
Explanatory Comments
You may not include a “Whereas…” section in the body of your resolution or notice of motion. Any such section will be deleted from the resolution by the Resolutions Committee along with any material that is considered argumentative.
However, you may provide explanatory comments with your resolution that will be provided beneath the resolution as Commentary from the Mover(s). The Resolutions Committee may edit explanatory comments to keep them within the 250 words allowed for this purpose. Comments may also be removed if they are libelous or inaccurate.
It is appropriate to provide a rationale for the resolution as part of the Commentary from the Mover(s). You may wish to explain why the resolution is coming forward and what it is expected to achieve. Pertinent facts supporting the resolution may also be provided but should be checked to ensure that they come from a reliable source and give a complete, accurate picture of the issue.
Background Information
Most resolutions and notices of motion are followed by background information compiled to help councillors understand and decide the issue in question. This information is factual in nature. For example, it may cite legislation, bylaws or policies that apply to the issue; it may identify recent ad hoc committee or other reports that spoke to the issue; it may give the cost implications of a proposal; it may explain or summarize the context in which a proposal would take effect; or it may define terms so that it is clear what the resolution is proposing. Arguments are not made for or against the resolution, leaving the councillors to draw their own conclusions from the facts.
Background information for Council resolutions is compiled by the STF staff in consultation as necessary with plan administrative boards, educational partners, teacher organizations and other sources. The Administrative Staff assigned as resource people to the small group sessions are familiar with the background information for the resolutions in their sessions and are available to respond to any questions that councillors may have related to the information.
Framing as a Resolution or Notice of Motion
Both resolutions and notices of motion begin with the words, BE IT RESOLVED that…; however, Council deals with resolutions and notices differently as described in the section on Rules of Order. The following guidelines will assist you in deciding whether you need to submit a motion as a resolution or notice of motion:
A notice of motion is required if you are proposing any of the following:
- A change to the STF membership fee;
- A change the Contingency Fund levy;
- A change to Income Continuance Plan premiums;
- An addition, deletion or amendment to STF bylaws;
- That the STF request a change to The Teachers’ Federation Act, 2006;
- A change to the STRP Plan Text
A resolution is required for all other proposals, including the following:
- An addition, deletion or amendment to STF policies;
- That the STF take a specific action;
- That the STF negotiate a change to the Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement;
- That the STF request a change to the Teachers’ Superannuation Plan;
- That the STF negotiate a change to The Teachers Superannuation and Disability Benefits Act
Pension Plan Changes
Special wording and format considerations apply to resolutions and notices of motion that propose changes to STF pension plans. STF Policy 4.3.4(7) on Format of Resolutions outlines most of these considerations, which are discussed below:
- A resolution is needed to propose changes to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Superannuation Plan (STSP) while a notice of motion is needed to propose changes to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan (STRP). The STSP applies to teachers who began teaching in Saskatchewan prior to July 1, 1980, while the STRP applies to teachers who began teaching in Saskatchewan after July 1, 1980. A motion that applies to both plans needs to be rewritten into two parts, a resolution affecting the STSP and a notice of motion affecting the STRP.
- Changes to the STSP, including proposals related to the Teachers’ Superannuation Fund or the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Superannuation Commission, involve the negotiation of changes to The Teachers Superannuation and Disability Benefits Act. Thus the resolution should be worded as follows:
BE IT RESOLVED that the STF negotiate changes to The Teachers Superannuation and Disability Benefits Act to…
- Changes to the STRP require an amendment to the STRP Plan Text, and therefore require a notice of motion that sets out the dates for implementing the change according to a prescribed format:
- It is expected that most notices of motion to change the STRP Plan Text will give Council one year’s notice of the proposed change. The notice of motion will be considered within a group of motions labeled as Notices of Motion to be considered by Council (current year) and presented with detail for debate at Council (following year). The notice of motion should read:
BE IT RESOLVED that the STRP Plan Text be amended effective July 1, (following year), subject to approval by Council (following year) to….
As noted in the section on Rules of Order, this motion may be passed by a majority vote of the current Council. It will then be brought back to Council the next year in a group of motions labeled as Notices of Motion to be considered by Council (current year). If given final approval at that time through a two-thirds vote of those present at Council, the motion is then implemented on the following July 1.
- At times it is not appropriate to give Council one year’s notice of a proposed change to he STRP Plan Text. The one year notice requirement may be waived by Council through a vote of 80 per cent of those present. The notice of motion is considered within a group of motions labeled as Notices of Motion requiring immediate consideration in accordance with the STRP Plan Text [13.02(3)(e)]. A vote is taken to waive the notice requirement and then the notice of motion is considered for immediate approval through a two-thirds vote of those present. If approved, it is implemented the following July 1. A notice of motion of this kind should read: BE IT RESOLVED that the STRP Plan Text be amended effective July 1, (current year), subject to approval by Council (current year), to…
- It is expected that most notices of motion to change the STRP Plan Text will give Council one year’s notice of the proposed change. The notice of motion will be considered within a group of motions labeled as Notices of Motion to be considered by Council (current year) and presented with detail for debate at Council (following year). The notice of motion should read:
BE IT RESOLVED that the STRP Plan Text be amended effective July 1, (following year), subject to approval by Council (following year) to….