Events in peril as Sask. teachers announce provincewide strike, continued withdrawal of extracurriculars

Two major extracurricular events scheduled for this week are in peril as job action by the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) continues.

The provincial high school basketball championships, known as HOOPLA, were scheduled to begin Thursday in Moose Jaw and the Optimist Band Festival in Regina is to take place this week.

Both are in danger of being cancelled after STF announced Monday it will hold a one-day strike on Wednesday and withdraw from extracurricular activities on Thursday and Friday.

As of Monday morning, organizers of the Optimist Band Festival said they were still working to determine their next steps.

In a statement Monday morning, the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association set a deadline for 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 20, for a decision on HOOPLA.

"If sanctions are not lifted, HOOPLA will be cancelled due to the lack of teacher involvement in the events," said Dave Sandomirsky, the organization's executive director.

Both sides of the labour dispute laid the blame for any potential cancellation on the other.

"It's their decision to make. They don't have to shut down HOOPLA. They can make a decision not to shut down HOOPLA and they can make a decision to come back to the bargaining table. And we respectfully would invite them to do so," said Premier Scott Moe.

Teachers in Regina are planning to rally at the legislature again this week. (Richard Agecoutay/CBC)

STF president Samantha Becotte struck a more conciliatory tone, saying teachers have been clear what needs to be done to end job action.

Last week, the STF invited the province to enter into binding arbitration on the issue of class size and complexity, which teachers want to see included in their collective agreement. The STF said that if the government agreed to the arbitration, teachers would return to the table to negotiate on the remaining issues.

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill declined.

On Monday, Becotte blamed the government for forcing teachers to continue job action this week.

"If the government agreed to binding arbitration for classroom complexity or provided their bargaining team with the mandate that included classroom complexity, we could return return to the table to negotiate an agreement and, like I said, all sanctions would be cancelled or suspended," Becotte said.

Becotte admitted there is a chance this job action — affecting major extracurricular events — could backfire.

"There is a concern about public perception of these actions, but our hope is that the public recognizes the fight that teachers are having to get this government to make long-term commitments to public education. It shouldn't be this hard," Becotte told media.

The STF confirmed a planned rally at the legislature in Regina Wednesday to coincide with the release of the provincial budget that day.

Cockrill has repeatedly expressed his disappointment in the teacher job action and said that he wants teachers to return to the negotiating table.

Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill, left, speaks at the Legislature in Regina while Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation president Samantha Becotte (in green) looks on. (Adam Hunter/CBC)

"We've been clear that these issues, class size, complexity, are not issues related to the [collectively bargained agreement]," Cockrill told reporters last week.

The STF, which represents nearly 13,000 teachers, has been engaging in rotating job action since mid-January following the breakdown in contract negotiations. Rotating strikes and withdrawals of voluntary activities have been taking place on nearly a daily basis since the end of February.