Conciliation sought to break impasse in Saskatchewan teacher contract talks

Salaries, classroom size, substitute teachers main issues: STF

Conciliation sought to break impasse in Saskatchewan teacher contract talks
The request for conciliation comes a day after Education Minister Gord Wyant said he felt there was a fair offer on the table. Google Street View

REGINA (CP) — The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) says contract talks with the provincial government have reached an impasse so the union is pursuing conciliation to help reach an agreement.

The federation says salaries, classroom size and composition, and contracts for substitute teachers are the main issues, but the government refuses to budge on them.

The union says the teachers bargaining committee has requested a conciliation board be set up.

Federation president Patrick Maze says about half of its members feel class size and class composition are the most important matters to be negotiated.

The request for conciliation comes a day after Education Minister Gord Wyant said he felt there was a fair offer on the table.

The province is offering a one-time salary payment of $1,500, followed by two per cent raises in 2020 and 2021, while the union is seeking a two per cent raise for 2019 and three per cent raises in 2020 and 2021.

“Effectively it’s five per cent over five years that they’re offering. That’s just not good enough these days,” Maze said Thursday.

“Class size has crept up, (classroom) diversity is increasing, so we’re actually wanting some form of compensation to address the concerns that teachers are working harder.”

The government says it continues to meet in good faith with the teachers bargaining committee.

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