Post-secondary faculty leaders express support for Sask. teachers

Faculty leaders at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the province's two universities say they supportteachers during their ongoing job action.

The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) has been engaging in rotating strikes and withdrawals of voluntary duties since mid-January, after bargaining on a new collective agreement came to a standstill.

Post-secondary faculty leaders said on Monday that all"levels of education delivery are in crisis" because they have to contend with ineffective and unpredictable funding from the provincial government.

University of Saskatchewan Faculty Associationchairperson Geraldine Balzer said her association supports the STF.

"The chronic lack of priority for education puts Saskatchewan kids at a disadvantage, from elementary school to post-secondary institutions, and to the workforce both in this province and on the world stage," Balzer said.

The presidents of the University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic faculty associations had similar messages on how providing sustainable funding to Saskatchewan's education sector will set up the province for future prosperity and economic success.

"We're seeing a vast failure of imagination from this government," said Britt Hall, the University of Regina Faculty Association's president.

"Saskatchewan could have the world's best public education system, with meaningful investments at every level, that not only support the students we have but also attract learners from across the world to study, research and contribute here."

Extracurricular activities withdrawn for 3 days

Teachers across Saskatchewan are refraining fromrunning extracurricular activities Monday through Wednesday this week as part of the federation's latest round of sanctions.

The provincewide extracurricular withdrawal means teachers will not provide voluntary services involved in the organization, supervision and facilitation of activities including athletics, non-curricular arts, field trips, student travel, graduation preparations, school clubs and other activities.

Teachers are also withdrawing from noon-hour supervision on Monday and Thursday in certain areas of the province.

On Monday the affected school divisions are the following:

• Creighton School Division.
• Holy Trinity Catholic School Division.
• Horizon School Division.
• Lloydminster Public and Lloydminster Catholic school divisions.
• Northwest School Division.
• Prairie South School Division.
• Prairie Valley School Division.
• Saskatchewan Rivers and Prince Albert Catholic school divisions

On Thursday, another set of school divisions will see teachers withdraw from noon-hour supervision:

• Conseil des coles fransaskoise.
• Chinook School Division.
• Holy Family Catholic School Division.
• North East School Division.
• Prairie Spirit School Division.
• Regina Catholic Schools.
• Regina Public Schools.
• Saskatoon Public Schools.
• Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools.

STF president Samantha Becotte said teachers don't want to continuejob action but remain steadfast that measures to address class size and complexity must be part of the provincial collective agreement.

Last week, the Saskatchewan government announced a deal with the province's school boards that it said would address class complexity with $356.6 million in funding per year for four years.

WATCH |Government funding deal with Sask. school board association could get teachers back to the negotiating table:

Government funding deal with Sask. school board association could get teachers back to the negotiating table

7 months ago

Duration 2:00

Teachers are open to returning to negotiations if the provincial government brings the funding deal it announced on Friday to the bargaining table, under certain conditions, says the head of the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF).

Becotte said theannouncement doesn't go far enough.

"While this week's funding announcement is welcome, it does not guarantee ongoing, predictable and sustainable funding for education," Becotte said Friday.

"We have said on many occasions that a new collective agreement is within reach. The government simply has to come to the bargaining table with a mandate to negotiate class size and complexity."

After the government made its announcement, Becotte also said teachers are open to returning to the bargaining table under certain conditions, including that school divisions "cannot use these new funds for anything other than student support."

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said he hopes thenew funding announcement will lead to some headway in the contract dispute.

"Now that our government has made this unprecedented commitment in a signed agreement, it's time for the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation to end their job action and return to the bargaining table," Cockrill said.

Becotte said the job actions planned for this weekwill go ahead unless the province agrees to begin negotiations.