SASKATOON - The issue of class size and complexity remains a stumbling block towards a resolution between the two sides in the teachers’ labour dispute.
Talks between the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee and negotiators for the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation broke down last Tuesday, mainly over the classroom complexity. STF has demanded class size and complexity be included in collective bargaining, something the provincial government has continued to resist during the latest round of talks. Instead, the government offered to make the commitment through a separate memorandum of understanding outside of collective bargaining.
That idea has been rejected by the STF leadership, on the grounds there would be no dispute resolution mechanism in place should the government did not live up to the terms of the agreement.
On Friday, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation had resumed job action of rotating strikes as well a withdrawal of noon hour supervision. The union also has threatened to escalate their job action before the end of the month, and are demanding the GTBC receive a new mandate from the province before negotiations can resume.
That same day, the province’s school boards made it known they sided with the provincial government on the class complexity issue. Saskatchewan School Boards Association President Jaimie Smith-Windsor issued a statement saying that “boards believe class complexity should be dealt with at a local level and not in a provincial CBA.”
Her statement noted that 80 per cent of grants to school boards are allocated to staff salaries and benefits, and that “boards believe in local decision-making, as communities in Saskatchewan are very diverse. “Building on Government’s recent funding commitment of $53.1 million, a dedicated fund for local boards will be established to address classroom complexity,” Smith-Windsor stated.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, STF President Samantha Becotte held a media availability in which the union reiterated their stance that classroom complexity be included in negotiations. She was joined in the call by Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario President Karen Brown; British Columbia Teachers’ Federation President Clint Johnston; and Connie Keating, past-president of New Brunswick Teachers’ Association. All made the point that class size and complexity had been something negotiated and included in other provinces’ collective agreements.
Johnston said class complexity language was something they negotiate in BC. “That’s exactly what we do, because it’s important. When we negotiate class size limits like we have in places in BC and caseload ratios for specialist teachers like school counsellors, or guaranteed support levels for children with diagnosed learning challenges, we are better able to do our jobs.”
“Classroom complexity is a new reality for teachers, regardless of province,” said Brown. She particularly spoke on the issue of violence in schools.
Brown said this was pervasive, pointing to a survey of her members in May 2023 that 42 per cent had been injured as a result of violence in the past year. “This is unacceptable and must be addressed by governments everywhere.”
She said they got a written commitment from the Ontario government where the union would work “as an equal partner” to revise the Ministry of Education policies on codes of conduct. “This is the first time an education union in Ontario has negotiated this type of commitment from the government, and it has the potential to make real change in the day-to-day lives of schools.”
Becotte cited specifically the need to address classroom complexity in minimizing instances of violence in classrooms. “This would result in safer learning environments for students and working environments for teachers, which is something that we should all be striving for. The increase of violence and aggression in all our schools across Saskatchewan has been a great cause for concern, and something that is part of our conversation at the bargaining table as well.”
Becotte also pointed to issues with recruitment and retention of teachers, including shortages of contract teachers and substitute teachers, citing the need to address the root causes for why teachers were leaving the profession.
“This isn’t revolutionary. We are not reinventing the wheel here with the proposal that we brought forward for our negotiations process,” Becotte said. “Other provinces have negotiated items, and as it was noted as well, they’re not perfect solutions, but they’re a step forward to improvements that benefit students and teachers in schools across their respective provinces. The collective agreement is the best place for these commitments to be made to ensure that the government and school boards are held to account.”
