Sask. teachers to refuse lunchtime supervision Thursday as next step in job action

The Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) says teachers won't be there to supervise students at lunchtime on Thursday.

The union issued a 48-hour strike notice for the withdrawal of voluntary noon-hour services on Monday morning, the latest job action as contract talks with the province remain at a standstill.

STF members will also not be available to organize or lead noon-hour extracurricular activities or clubs, according to the union, which has announced a second set of rotating strikes taking place on Wednesday.

 "We recognize that those actions do have a significant impact on students and their families across the province and and that's not our goal," STF president Samantha Becotte told media on Monday. 

Both the union and province have accused the other of stalling talks. The STF says the government refuses to discuss class size and complexity in the agreement, while the province says the STF is hung up on its offer of a seven per cent wage increase over three years.

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill called the move "disappointing" on Monday afternoon, and said he hoped the two parties would be back at the bargaining table soon.

"It affects students and families," he said. "It's not where we'd like the situation to be."

Cockrill says the government's position hasn't changed but it is reviewing the terms of its initial offer.

"We want to make sure public employees in this province are compensated fairly for what they do," he said, but added "that discussion happens at the bargaining table."

Cockrill said the wage increase tied to inflation the STF has asked for "is not a reasonable deal for Saskatchewan tax payers at all."

He added that the government is committed to addressing increasing classroom complexity, including through $40 million for some school divisions to hire support staff announced last June.

However Becotte says the one-time funding isn't enough and says nothing, including a full strike, is off the table.

"We want to be in our classrooms, we want to be supporting our students, but we need help in in that. We need government to recognize the problems and make long term commitments," she said on Monday.

"[Government's] disengagement in the process is absolutely disrespectful to students and teachers, and it shows their lack of commitment to address these issues in the long term."