The Saskatchewan government has taken its negotiations with the province’s teachers public.
Education Minister Gord Wyant released their monetary offer after it was tabled at the bargaining table.
It calls for a $1,500 one-time payment to full time teachers in the first year on top of the one-percent increase that came into effect after their previous contract expired at the end of August.
The offer also includes two-percent increases in each of the final two years.
Wyant calls the five-percent proposal over three years a good offer keeping Saskatchewan teachers above the Western Canadian average.
The Education Minister says releasing details of a contract offer while bargaining continues is uncharted territory but feels it’s appropriate since the teachers went public with their position.
Wyant says he would have preferred to keep details confidential until an agreement is reached but feels Saskatchewan residents should hear details from both sides.
The teachers are expected to ask for an eight-percent pay hike over three years in addition to putting class sizes on the table.
Wyant says legislation prevents them from negotiating class sizes provincially and feels that is best dealt with at the local level by the individual school districts.
He says he is open to discussing an amendment to the education act with his deputy minister and Education ministry officials to consider adding class size to provincial talks and will continue to discuss the issue with teachers away from the bargaining table.
The Teachers federation says it will post progress reports from bargaining sessions and Wyant has indicated they will follow suit.
(CJWW)
