Cockrill says possible meeting with teachers’ federation ‘not an April Fool’s joke’

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill offered a small glimmer of hope Monday that teachers and the Saskatchewan government could resume negotiations on a new contract.

“There is a good possibility of us meeting back at the bargaining table this week. No, that is not an April Fool’s joke,” Cockrill told the Evan Bray Show.

“I’m hopeful that the teachers’ bargaining committee will take us up on that invitation to join us at the table later this week in Regina.”

The government and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) have been at an impasse in contract negotiations since October. Teachers since have levied sanctions against the government, including rotating strikes and the withholding of lunch-hour supervision and the supervision of extracurricular activities.

A return to the bargaining table would mark the first face-to-face meeting in several weeks.

Cockrill noted there has been ongoing communication with the teachers’ union over the Easter weekend since the government offered an accountability framework on classroom support money.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would give local teacher associations a say in how school divisions choose to spend classroom support money.

Cockrill added there has always been communication between teachers and school boards on how funding is allocated, but the MOU would formalize that relationship across the province.

STF president Samantha Becotte said Thursday the federation was still mulling over the MOU, but indicated it was a great start in moving towards a solution.