The Saskatchewan Teacher’s Federation and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee are set to resume bargaining today.

Last Thursday the STF said an invitation was extended late Wednesday, so the scheduled job action Thursday was halted. It would have included the withdrawal of noon-hour supervision at schools.

Kindersley Sask. Party MLA Ken Francis says that it is nice to see that the STF is willing to come back to the bargaining table and he says while it was kind of portrayed that the Government wasn’t coming back, really the bargaining committee is always at the table, and willing to talk even if positions haven’t changed.

He agreed with the statement from the STF last week that the committee had been given a new mandate from the Minister’s office and cabinet. Francis describes it as the bargaining committee having been directed to look at a different type of offer including compensation.

Along with a wage increase, the STF has said it wants class size and complexity addressed in the contract, so funding isn’t just announced here and there. STF president Samantha Becotte previously stated she expects there will be education funding announced in the budget in March because it’s an election year, and she welcomes that, but reiterates that funding needs to be more than one-time funding for projects so school boards can rely on it year after year for budgeting.

(with files from westcentral.com)