Sask. teachers vote to renew mandate for job sanctions

Saskatchewan teachers have voted heavily in favour of a new mandate that allows job action to continue until an agreement with the province is reached.

Saskatchewan teachers have voted overwhelmingly to renew their mandate for sanctions – giving the Sask. Teachers Federation (STF) the power to reinstitute job action if negotiations fall through.

Over the two day voting period, 83 per cent of teachers cast a vote – 95 per cent of which supported further sanctions if needed.

“You have sent a very clear message that your priorities need to be addressed through this collective agreement process and if they aren’t, we are ready to continue fighting for as long as it can take,” Becotte said in a message addressed to STF membership.

“We have seen some progress at the table over the course of this week but we are ready to announce sanctions if the talks break down at any point.”

The STF’s previous mandate expires at the end of June.

The vote follows a clear rejection of the tentative agreement reached by the STF and Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) in mid-April.

The agreement would’ve seen teachers receive an eight per cent pay increase over three years. It would include three per cent increases for year’s one and two, ending with a two per cent bump in year three.