After having no luck at the bargaining table with the provincial government, members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation have voted to support potential job sanctions.

STF President Samantha Becotte says 90 per cent of teachers province-wide voted, and 95 per cent of them were in favour of implementing sanctions if need be. Becotte says teachers across the province have been dealing with class size and complexity, requesting actionable items that support Truth and Reconciliation, and violence in classrooms, and many are beginning to feel burnt out.

“We provided (members of the government with) pictures of black eyes, broken bones, and those don’t even show the emotional damage that occurred in those instances,” Becotte said.

Becotte states that the provincial government has the means of increasing public education funding, however they lack the will to do so. The two entities have met nine times at the bargaining table with nothing to show for it.

“Our new minister Jeremy Cockrill said teachers left the table. No Minister, no. You and your government didn’t even show up,” she accused. Becotte says no specific job action measures have been decided upon, but the vote is valid until June 30th, 2024, if sanctions must be implemented in the future.

The STF encourages everyone who is concerned for public education to come to the mini rally being held in Saskatoon tomorrow at 1:00pm in front of Minister Paul Merriman’s office.