There will be a one-day strike across the province on Wednesday, and it will be held at the Saskatchewan legislature as part of ongoing teacher job action.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation The organization stated that the strike aligns with the announcement of the provincial budget and aims to send a message to the Sask. Party government.
Samantha Becotte, president of STF, stated that the government's refusal to collaborate with teachers has led to this decision, which will impact students and communities province-wide.
Becotte also mentioned that teachers have tried to avoid further job action by bargaining in good faith and inviting the government to participate in binding arbitration on the issue of class size and complexity, but the offer was rejected by the education minister and premier.
STF anticipates that more than 4,000 teachers will gather at the legislature, with hundreds more participating in demonstrations across the province.
Additionally, extracurricular activities will be canceled across the province on Thursday and Friday, affecting events such as the provincial high school basketball championship and the Optimist Band Festival.
Becotte emphasized the importance of extracurricular activities but stated that the education of children and youth remains their top priority, urging the government to commit to sustainable funding for prekindergarten to Grade 12 education.
STF has called on the government to agree to binding arbitration to address the contentious issues of class size and complexity.
Binding arbitration involves submitting the dispute to a neutral party for recommendations to the province and the union.
The provincial government quickly rejected the proposal.
Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill expressed that school boards are in the best position to understand their school communities.
He added that school divisions should have the autonomy to support students and teachers within their local communities.
— with Files from Global News’ Andrew Benson
More information will be provided soon.
