SASKATOON – Saskatchewan teachers have rejected a tentative contract offer with the government.
In a vote held in October, 73 per cent of the 12,400 teachers who voted said no to the deal that would have given them a six-and-a-half per cent pay increase over four years.
“The money was an issue, the amount of the contract was an issue, the length of the contract is an issue,” said Colin Kees, president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.
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The STF also cited changes in the classroom including growing diversity, class composition and size, and changes to curriculum as other issues teachers are facing.
The government’s bargaining committee was disappointed in the result
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“We entered into this bargaining process in good faith and we had a very strong offer on the table,” said committee spokesperson Connie Bailey.
“If ratified, (it) would have resulted in its members being some of the highest paid teachers in the Western provinces.”
Teachers have been without a contract since the end of August.
A new date for negotiations has not been set.
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