News

Instead of bargaining freely and fairly on the important issues teachers have brought to the table, the Government of Saskatchewan has decided to use taxpayers’ dollars for a misleading and ridiculous billboard campaign featured in locations across the province. “What a waste of time and money,” Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation President Samantha Becotte said. “They’ve proven once again they don’t really care about students and their learning environment and instead want to create division by suggesting teachers are the villains."

Members have been asking for improvements to parental leave purchases, and we heard you!

Pre-retirement upgrades are an important part of your STRP benefits. They help to increase your career-average pension with inflation so that your pension provides a more meaningful benefit when you retire. Currently, substitute teachers are not eligible for these upgrades even though they pay the same contribution rate as contract teachers.

The STRP currently offers an additional death benefit option for members who pass away prior to retirement with at least eight years of service. This additional benefit option, paid to dependent children or dependent parents, is rarely used and complicated to administer.

You would probably agree that the current STRP formula is a little tricky to understand.  That’s because it’s what we call an “integrated” formula – it  provides different benefits below and above a certain earnings level (called the YMPE) in order to align it with benefits that you earn in the Canada Pension Plan.

The STRP is excited to once again be providing a conditional upgrade to teachers’ pensions. On June 30, 2023, eligible active teachers received a 3.8 percent increase to all pension benefits earned between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2022. This increase will show up on the June 30, 2023, annual statements being sent in December. For more information, read the original announcement.

The in-dispute designation placed on Northern Lights School Division on June 19 has been lifted effective July 24. Discussions and negotiations between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and NLSD Director of Education Jason Young resulted in a satisfactory resolution.