'Final offer' for Sask. teachers includes salary bump, line on classroom complexity

Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of "difficult" negotiations has led to a "final offer" with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte says two days of “difficult” negotiations has led to a “final offer” with slight improvements to salary and the inclusion of a line in the collective agreement – promising to address classroom complexity issues.

The province has described the proposal as a tentative agreement, while the STF has classified it as a “final offer.”

“We heard ‘final offer’ from the GTBC (Government Trustee Bargaining Committee) several times when we were at the bargaining table,” Becotte said in a news conference on Thursday. “We pushed on that, we really tried to engage in those good faith back and forth conversations, but we heard them repeat that several times that this was the final offer.”

The GTBC opened bargaining by returning to the province’s opening salary proposal – first advertised as part of the government’s billboard campaign back in July, according to the STF.

The offer includes a three year agreement, a salary increase of three per cent in year one, three per cent in year two, and two per cent in year three with retroactive pay to September 2023.

Saskatchewan teachers will vote on the offer from May 8 to 9th.

“Their vote, their voice is the most important within this process,” Becotte said.