Teachers Declare Bargaining Impasse; Work-to-Rule Begins Monday

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation members will begin indefinite, provincewide work-to-rule on Monday, June 10, after the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee declared an impasse in negotiations today.

During a meeting held Wednesday, June 5, the TBC put forward several paths for continued negotiations; however, the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee refused to consider anything other than binding arbitration.

“We have always agreed with what Minister Cockrill has stated many times – the best deals are negotiated at the table,” says STF President Samantha Becotte. “We finally experienced real negotiations in the meetings held in May and want to build on that progress.”

The work-to-rule sanction being implemented on Monday requires STF members abide by the following parameters:

• Restricted workday.
  • Arrive at their workplace 15 minutes before the start of the regularly scheduled school day and exit the workplace 15 minutes after the regularly scheduled school day ends.
• Complete withdrawal of all extracurricular services.
• Withdrawal of all voluntary services outside the restricted workday.
  • This means no voluntary services before school, during the noon hour, after school and in the evening.
• Withdrawal of noon-hour supervision.
  • Members must leave their place of work during the scheduled noon hour.

“Teachers are engaged and are committed to reaching a negotiated deal that will ensure students’ needs can be met. Government’s singular focus and insistence on binding arbitration shows that it is unwilling to adequately address the urgent needs of Saskatchewan students,” says Becotte.

The required 48 hours’ notice of job action will be provided to all Saskatchewan school divisions. The TBC is willing and able to return to the bargaining table, and suspend sanctions, if government is prepared to provide the GTBC with an adequate mandate to negotiate on these important issues.