Members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation have voted to reject the most recent offer from the province, even after it was endorsed by STF Executive.

The offer included an 8 per cent raise over three years and an MOU around class size and complexity, the main sticking point for teachers over the course of bargaining, but STF President Samantha Becotte says it didn’t do enough to address a lack of professional supports.

“In rural areas you might have a mental health counsellor that is shared amongst schools rather than someone full time in the building that students can go to when there is a crisis…We don’t have an adequate number of speech language pathologists where students could get timely access.”

The vote was nearly split, with 55 per cent of teachers turning down the offer. Eighty-eight per cent of teachers took part in the vote, down from just over 92 per cent following the last offer.

“This was a difficult decision for many of our members recognizing that there are a lot of factors to consider in the decision. I would still say 88 per cent of members voting in a collective agreement or in a sanctions vote, those are really high turnout rates.”

Becotte says it has now been over a year since the collective bargaining process between the two parties began.

“Finally, a year into the process, we had five days of good, productive conversations with back-and-forth negotiations. It didn’t result in the improvements that we wanted, but that’s the nature of negotiations. Everyone has to give a little bit.”

Becotte says it would be ideal to reach a deal as soon as possible to better prepare students for what next year will look like, and she invites the Government Trustee Bargaining Committee back to the bargaining table.

She adds that binding arbitration is an option, but it often is a long process, and a deal needs to be reached quickly.

“It can sometimes be difficult to find an arbitrator here in Saskatchewan…their availability also plays into it…Having negotiations at the table where we can get to an agreement and have those improvements actualized in our classes starting in the fall, so that students can start getting supports sooner rather than later, that’s the ideal solution.”

She warns that teacher job action will resume if the province doesn’t agree to continue with negotiations.

In reaction to the news, Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill released a written statement claiming he is disappointed, as be believed the deal was fair. He also mentioned that it was fair enough to be endorsed by STF Executive. Cockrill adds that comments will be made regarding next steps very soon.

NDP Leader Carla Beck says since 2016, Saskatchewan classrooms have seen an additional 15,000 students and only one additional teacher. She blames the Sask Party’s chronic underfunding of Saskatchewan classrooms.

Beck reacted to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation’s decision to reject the latest contract offer from the province on X, formerly Twitter.

“The only way that we are going to solve the issues facing our publicly funded classrooms in this province is to change the government. The good thing is, this fall, Saskatchewan people are going to get that chance. it does not have to be this way. It’s time for change.”

She claims that everyone knows it was the Sask Party that created the turmoil in classrooms. She adds that the Sask Party also cannot be trusted to fix the issues they created.