Saskatchewan government says it can’t afford to give teachers full pay raise

REGINA – The Saskatchewan government says it will pay only half of a negotiated pay raise for teachers this year.

Education Minister Don Morgan says the 1.9 per cent increase that was recently negotiated works out to about $18 million.

He says the province will only pay about $9 million.

Morgan says the province is asking school divisions to look for savings, whether that means re-examining busing or sharing resources with other divisions.

The minister says it’s a difficult year due to a “catastrophic” drop in resource revenue and all departments are looking for savings everywhere they can.

NDP education critic Carla Beck says the province has a contractual obligation to pay the whole increase and if it doesn’t it could result in job cuts or programming.

“It’s an agreement that’s bargained in good faith. Of course, school boards don’t have the ability to raise their own revenue,” Beck said.

Morgan said the province is honouring the contract.

“We’re not backing away from the contract, but we are saying to the divisions that we have had an unprecedented and unknown drop in revenue and we’re saying to them, ‘you have to work with us and find some savings.’”

Beck says it’s the first time that money for the teachers’ contracts wasn’t in the provincial budget.

(CJME)