The STF says dates for binding arbitration will be “confirmed shortly.”
The province and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) have announced their respective nominees for an arbitration panel that will be tasked with resolving an impasse in negotiations between the two sides.
A written statement from the STF says it has nominated Dawn Harkness, a recently retired teacher and principal from Saskatoon Public Schools who is now a sessional lecturer and intern teacher supervisor for university education programs.
“Her extensive professional background means Harkness will speak with authority on the experiences of teachers and students in Saskatchewan classrooms,” says the statement.
The province has nominated Greg Chatlain, former director of education for Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools. Both parties have agreed to nominate Daniel Ish, a former professor and dean of law at the University of Saskatchewan.
The STF and the Government-Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) will each have the opportunity to submit written positions and make presentations to the three-member arbitration panel.
“The panel will weigh the facts and rationale presented and the arbitrator’s decision will be delivered in the form of a legally binding written report,” says the statement. “Any awards through the arbitration process will become part of the final Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
In a statement received Tuesday afternoon, the Ministry of Education says it is “pleased that binding arbitration continues to move forward toward reaching an agreement that will bring predictability to students, families and staff.”
The latest offer included the creation of a special task force on classroom complexity and language referencing an accountability framework signed by the STF, the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) and the provincial government. It is to be attached to the collective bargaining agreement as a memorandum of understanding.
The offer also added an extra $18 million per year to the multi-year funding agreement (MFA) signed by the government and the SSBA in March. The MFA included a total budget of $356.6 million, with $40.7 million earmarked for “classroom supports” and $4.9 million for pilot programs.
The STF’s consensus was that none of it went far enough to adequately address issues related to class size and complexity, a sticking point since the first bargaining sessions in May 2023. The impasse ultimately led to the longest string of job action in the province’s history.
The current collective bargaining agreement expired one year ago come August.
– With files from Jennifer Ackerman.
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