Sask. Teachers' Federation will not return to bargaining table until gov't puts commitments in contract

The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) has said it will not return to the bargaining table until the province's most recent funding promises are included in a new collective agreement.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) has said it will not return to the bargaining table until the province’s most recent funding promises are included in a new collective agreement.

In a surprise pre-budget day announcement on Wednesday, Premier Scott Moe took to X to reveal an increase to operational education funding of $180 million in the 2024-2025 budget.

Moe touted the announcement as the “largest increase in school operating funding ever” in the province’s history – a claim STF President Samantha Becotte was quick to question.

“They talk about record investment, and it is a larger number than we had last year, although the $180 million that he's referencing as an increase also includes money that has been announced,” she told reporters at the legislature on Thursday.

According to the premier, funding specifically allocated to classroom supports will rise from $300 million to $356 million in the coming budget.

“There is a 15 per cent increase in that particular space,” Moe explained at an event Thursday morning.

While Becotte said the STF appreciates the committed funding increase – the federation still remains opposed to any deal made outside its collective bargaining agreement.