The leaders of the UK’s two main political parties entered into the first debate of that country’s general election campaign. Both promised to avoid personal attacks against the other. Like all pre-debate political promises, their pledge didn’t last very long.
Guardian 04 June 2024
In a preview of what Saskatchewan voters will likely see this fall (and are already seeing on social media) the right wing Conservatives are attacking left-wing Labour with predictions of massive tax increases, a charge Labour seems to be ignoring to their peril.
Guardian 04 June 2024
Sadly, both leaders seemed to back away from initiatives aimed at reversing climate change, potentially creating an opportunity for Britain’s Green Party, which scored numerous victories in recent municipal elections .
Inside the room, the audience seemed more supportive of the Labour Leader. Most of the UK’s right-leaning daily newspapers though (perhaps unsurprisingly) that the current Prime Minister won the debate.
Teachers in Saskatchewan have overwhelmingly rejected what government negotiators described as a “final offer” for a new province-wide collective agreement. The vote results were announced on the evening of 09 May 2024. Ninety percent of those casting ballots chose to reject the offer. Here’s a link to the news conference Samantha Becotte had on the morning after the vote results were announced:
President Becotte said solving this impasse “doesn’t have to be this hard”. All it requires is government to find the political will to make K-12 education a priority. Since 2016, Saskatchewan has slipped from first place in the nation to eighth place in terms of inflation adjusted per student operating funding. And there is every likelihood the province may slip to last place, following the 2024-25 provincial budget. Some school divisions have already stated there are insufficient funds available this year to even maintain existing services. The reason is clear: In the past decade, Saskatchewan’s education sector has been hit by funding cuts, grants that have not increased at the rate of inflation and significant enrolment increases. That has resulted in acute pressure in classrooms.
stf.sk.ca
The sticking point in negotiations has been Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill’s repeated refusal to include provisions in a new collective agreement respecting student learning conditions and teacher working conditions–more specifically, provisions that would help solve problems related to large class sizes and the increasingly complex needs presented by students in contemporary classrooms.
However, in a media interview on the morning after the vote, Cockrill didn’t seem to budge when asked if the overwhelming “no” vote by teachers would cause him and his government to “rethink their position”:
“I’ve been clear right from the start: class size, complexity — that does not belong in the provincial agreement. That continues to be the government’s position.”
Evan Bray Show, 10 May 2024 ckom.com
And when asked directly if government had ruled out the possibility of back-to-work legislation, Cockrill seemed less than categorical:
“Now, I suppose Evan that would be a possibility. That’s not somewhere we want to go, though. I’ve been clear all throughout the process–every time I’ve had an opportunity to talk to you. you know, the best place to get an agreement is going to be at the bargaining table. That’s really where we want to get to. Obviously at the end of the day, we do ensure, you know, predictability and stability for education in the province.We’re looking for options around how we ensure that. The first priority is getting back to the bargaining table.” (emphasis added)
Evan Bray Show 10 May 2024
The entire interview can be found at the link below. The section on back-to-work legislation can be found at the 9:30 mark.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has been even more explicit in his language, framing the STF’s bargaining request as an attempt to get government to hand over authority for education spending to the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation:
Saskatchewan Hansard, March 28, 2024. pg. 5314
So, where does this all land and what happens next? In order to make headway at the bargaining table, one side or the other will have to alter their position on a set of fundamental issues: class size and classroom complexity. With a 90 percent “no” vote, teachers seem to have made their voices heard loudly and clearly.
And for the record, these opinions represent my own views as an interested observer. This post does not represent the official position of the STF’s Teacher’s Bargaining Committee.
The dust is starting to settle and we are beginning to see the bigger picture behind last night’s by-election and municipal results across the UK.
It looks good for Labour and bad for the Conservatives.
A 26 point swing is very rare. Loosing 500 seats is catastrophic. And you never want to see the words “worst performance in 40 years” connected to any of your endeavours.
The UK general election will likely be held in October.
Murray Mandryk’s recent column illustrates a point that is not fully appreciated by the public; Negative advertising and nasty campaigning tactics are loathed by the public. However, these tactics are widely embraced, because they work. And they work very well. https://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/mandryk-robocalls
However, like many columnists, Mandryk imagines a better world where the current Saskatchewan government invests less time slagging opponents and more time actually solving the problems facing our province:
“Just imagine if the ingenuity spent demonizing its opponents was put toward classroom overcrowding or hiring more specialists and nurses.“
As for why political leaders engage in hammering their opponents in nasty robotexts, other — even deeper factors, may be at play.
Politicians are not normal people. As was explored in a recent column by Matthew Harris (The Times, 19 April 2024) politics, by and large, attracts people with “…a stunted appreciation for risk”.
Bottom line: don’t expect politics to change much as we approach a provincial general election on October 28, 2024.
With so much at stake and with political careers hanging in the balance (never mind the future of Saskatchewan) campaign discourse will become increasingly strident.
“…our school division boards–the people who were elected to make the decisions about how our schools are ran (sic) have said that management rights and their ability to administer the schools within their divisions–that cannot be bargained away in the contract. That’s a reasonable position to take.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation is now asking that government and school boards make a commitment to honour the accountability framework in the contract. That’s also a reasonable position to take.
And our government is prepared to see this language included in the contract.”
:52 second mark
Good news today as the STF is returning to the bargaining table and pausing job action. pic.twitter.com/rfUMaf5zgL
Ian Hanna 