I would like to express my deep disappointment in both the attitude and actions of the provincial government and its bargaining team in recent negotiations with this province's teachers.
As a professional group that works in a resource rich province, and with that province's "most precious resource," we are acutely aware that our compensation has not kept pace with teachers in other provinces, with other professional groups, with the cost of living, and with the increased work load and responsibilities of our job.
After years of accepting less than adequate compensation because "times were tough" and the province needed our support, now, in this era of unparalleled provincial prosperity that this government likes to claim responsibility for, is the time to reasonably and adequately compensate working teachers. It is also the time to encourage top-notch candidates to join our profession in the future, not in other provinces, but in Saskatchewan.
In an effort to reach a mutually acceptable solution to this bargaining impasse, we compromised in our initial position and also accepted a government offered invitation to restart negotiations. However, the government's tactic was, unfortunately, only a heavy-handed, disingenuous attempt to sway public opinion and bully teachers by bringing nothing new to the table while, at the same time, conducting a publicly-funded campaign aimed at cynically negotiating in the media.
The time has come for this administration to step up and recognize, in a meaningful, sincere way, the important and often voluntary contributions of a large and dynamic group of professionals.
This government needs to live up to its own propaganda and fulfil its promise of prosperity for a province that also includes its teachers.
