Collective bargaining is a major responsibility of school boards under both The Education Act, 1995 and The Trade Union Act.
Bargaining with Teachers
The Education Act, 1995 provides for bi-level bargaining with teachers.
Items negotiated at the provincial level are:
- Salaries of teachers
- Allowances of principals and vice-principals
- Sick leave
- Superannuation of teachers
- Duration of the provincial agreement
- Group life insurance for teachers
- Criteria for employees being designated out-of-scope
- Any other matter ancillary or incidental to the above.
More information on the legislative framework is available by clicking here. Also, as a result of a memorandum of agreement arising from the 2000-2002 Provincial Collective Agreement, a committee was established to examine good practices and dispute resolution. The Joint Committee on Good Practices and Dispute Resolution issued a report in December 2002. The Committee made a number of specific recommendations in the report for considerations by the parties.
Items negotiated at the local level by individual school boards are:
- Sabbatical leave for teachers
- Educational leave for teachers
- Salaries for substitute teachers
- Pay periods for teachers
- Special allowances for teachers
- Duration of the local agreement
- Any other matter ancillary or incidental to the above.
The Education Act, 1995 allows additional matters to be bargained at the provincial and local levels if agreed by both parties. Either party has the right to refuse to negotiate an additional matter. Local agreements may not contain provisions that are matters for provincial bargaining, and no agreement can contain provisions for the selection of teachers, course of study, the program of studies, or professional methods and techniques.
The Education Act, 1995 prohibits negotiation of the following at both the provincial and local levels:
- Selection of teachers
- Courses of study
- The program of studies
- The professional methods and techniques used by a teacher
Collective bargaining is a problem-solving process. Both board members and teachers are focused on the same goal – the best education possible for all students. There may be differing perspectives about how to achieve this goal. The solution to the problem is arriving at an agreement that puts children first and that both parties feel good about.
For more information, please contact:
Phone: 306-569-0750
Darren McKee
Executive Director (ext. 140)
Linnea Olson
Senior Consultant, Employee and Labour Relations (ext. 125)
Resources
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2026
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2023
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2019
Interpretive Bulletin for the 2017-2019 Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2017
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2013
Interpretive Bulletin for the 2010-2013 Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement
Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement – Effective September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2010
A Summary of Teacher Collective Bargaining in Saskatchewan
Interpretive Bulletin for the 2007-2010 Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement
Good Practices and Dispute Resolution – The Report of the Joint Committee – May 1, 2013