Living Sky School Division is glad to see the teachers' union's contract talks with the province are starting to look more positive. (file photo/CKOM News Staff)

By Angela Brown

Eye on education

Living Sky School Division hopeful teachers’ union talks with province have positive outcome

Feb 27, 2020 | 3:39 PM

Trustees with the Living Sky School Division are hopeful for some resolution between the Saskatchewan teachers’ union and the province now that contract negotiations appear to be progressing well.

This past week members of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF), Saskatchewan Education Minister Gord Wyant, and the Saskatchewan School Boards Association met for discussions.

“I think talks were positive, and they have committed to another meeting next week,” said Living Sky’s Board Chair Ronna Pethick. “We are hopeful that the discussions will continue and an agreement can be made.”

Following Tuesday’s meeting, STF president Patrick Maze said the discussions were going well, citing his meeting with Wyant as ‘productive’ and ‘positive’.

As a result, Maze said teachers likely won’t exercise their sanctions mandate before the sides meet again next week.

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The teachers’ union and the province have been on opposing sides during negotiations, mainly on the issues of class size and composition. The meeting Tuesday wasn’t a formal negotiation session, but came about from the recommendation of a conciliation report encouraging the sides to find a common ground.

The main topic discussed Tuesday was class composition and ensuring teachers feel they are achieving their goals in the classroom which leads to students’ success as well.

On Feb. 24, it was reported more than 90 per cent of teachers had voted to take some sort of action to get negotiations moving, although no job action was announced.

Teachers could withhold voluntary services such as extracurricular activities, strike on a rotating basis, or work to rule where staff show up just before class starts and don’t take any materials home with them.

Pethick said the school division continues to keep student needs a priority.

“At any time in the future if there are job sanctions, our board’s priority is student learning and our primary concern is the health and safety of our students and staff,” she said. “We have a contingency plan in place and promise to keep our stakeholders informed.”

“I just want to say that our board respects the collective bargaining rights of all our staff,” Pethick added. “But should something occur, the board’s primary concern is the health and safety of our students, and the security of our division facilities will be maintained.”

She added the division also values its staff.

“We do respect our professional staff within our division, and all our staffs, and their right to bargain,” Pethick said. “We’re hopeful that an agreement can be reached with our teachers. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens at the provincial level.”

– With files from CJME.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW