Sask. Teachers’ Federation rejects offer, calls vote a ‘reset’ in contract talks

Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation president Samantha Becotte says binding arbitration is an option after union members voted down a three-year contract offer from the province.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation said Friday that it is looking at restarting the bargaining process after members voted to reject the province’s final contract offer this week.

The STF said 90 per cent of voters opposed the offer put forward by the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC), with 92.2 per cent of union members casting their vote on Wednesday and Thursday.

This was first time Saskatchewan teachers voted on a tentative agreement since declaring negotiations had reached an impasse in October 2023. The teachers started job action in January.

STF president Samantha Becotte said she sees the rejected vote as a “reset” in the bargaining process, a chance to start over. She also said binding arbitration is an option to resolve the dispute.

“It would provide a fair, judicial path forward that would look at both sides’ arguments and come with a decision on how we can resolve this dispute one way or another,” Becotte said.

She said the vote tells students, families and the Teachers’ Bargaining Committee that teachers are  committed to securing a sustainable future for publicly funded schools and for the supports students need in classrooms.

The three-year agreement offered by the province included salary increases 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. It also made reference to an accountability framework outlined in a memorandum of understanding on classroom supports.