With the cheers and shouts of 300 high school students ringing in the background, education minister Jim Melenchuk was optimistic Sept. 8 that negotiations will settle a teachers’ labor dispute in Saskatchewan.
The province’s 12,000 teachers want a 17.5 percent increase over three years in wages and benefits. Last week they stopped extra-curricular duties, shutting down student sports, clubs and events.
That brought high school students out to demonstrate in Regina, Moose Jaw and Saskatoon Sept. 8 and in Regina again Sept. 11.
Melenchuk said although teachers had rejected a conciliation report in May that recommended a wage and benefit increase totaling 7.2 percent over two years, negotiations had brought the two sides closer over the summer.
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He said the teachers had softened their stance, adding the issue is not over the size of a wage increase but how it will be distributed.
Negotiations were adjourned on the Labor Day weekend, but the two sides said they were hopeful talks would resume this week.
On Sept. 8, the students demonstrating in Saskatoon in front of the cabinet office where Melenchuk was speaking to reporters spilled off the sidewalk onto the street.
Signs held by students urged motorists to honk to support the teachers. However, one sign said, “We didn’t sign a union card. Why is this affecting us?”
Outside the legislature in Regina, 2,000 high school students protested the teachers’ decision to work to rule. Chanting “What about us?” and “Settle it,” they cut classes to take their message to the government.
Andrew Salgado, vice-president of the student representative council at Regina’s Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, spoke to the crowd. He urged the students to be respectful during the protest and not to blame the teachers. But he said the loss of extra curricular activities means students don’t get the same quality of education.
“Everybody needs help from a teacher outside of classroom time,” he said.
“We want our schools back. We want the important things about our school back.”
To most in the crowd, that apparently meant football. Unable to play their regular league games, teams from several schools used the expansive lawns in front of the building.
Strong numbers
Social services minister Harry Van Mulligen told the students he was impressed with the turnout.
“That tells me that you have very strong feelings about the quality of your education, including your extra-curricular activities,” he said. “We share your concerns.”
The students are “adding a level of concern” to the situation, said Craig Melvin, executive director of the Saskatchewan School Trustees Association. However, both he and a teacher’s spokesperson were concerned about the time being taken off classes to demonstrate.
Melvin said teachers cause two particular problems for rural schools when they work to rule: difficulty finding volunteers to help with lunch hour supervision because of harvest; and ensuring that school buses do not arrive at school too soon in the morning and leave children unattended.
Saskatchewan Teachers Federation executive director Derwyn Crozier-Smith understands the concern.
“We recognize our rural members are much more closely integrated into community life. It is more difficult for our (rural) members … but we’re asking all our members to be consistent in applying work to rule.”
