As Sask. teachers plan one-day walkout, parents left scrambling

This article has produced a great list of comments that I have added to the bottom of the entry...interesting read if you are an educator...do you think we are valued? or not?

Send me an email to dcannell5@gmail,com if you would like to add a comment to this list.

As Sask. teachers plan one-day walkout, parents left scrambling

Comments


Thank you to the teachers that put up with these ignorant parents. Every profession has bad and good individuals, its not going to change. As a recent graduate of the university I could have gone into take education but who chooses a career where parents think you are a baby sitter, constantly complain that you don't do enough, and think your useless from the start... seems pretty unattractive to me. If parents don't support teachers and a salary increase then take an active roll in your childrens education and teach them yourselves.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to all my Saskachewan teacher for giving me the education to become a professional. I have good and bad teachers but they all still taught me something. I'm sure teachers are asking for 12% and would settle for something reasonable. If you never ask, you'll never recieve, so ask for the Moon! I support you.

I DO care about the sytem and believe that it needs to be fixed but simply giving teachers more money and prep time is NOT going to fix the sytem!
Don't get me wrong each of my shildren has at least 1 fantastic teacher who made a huge difference but they all had many more terrible ones.
Unfortunately for those to come after mine - I am having trouble giving a darn anymore after spending countless hours volunteering in the classroom, going on field trips, teaching my children what the teacher failed to teach, paying tutors, etc... My youngest is finishing grade 12 this year. All of my kids were on the honour roll because I paid attention and got them the tutors etc. that hey needed to get an actual education!
My recommendation now is to avoid the school system if you want your kids to learn what they need to learn - homeschool, private school, whatever you need to do to get your kids a quality education - the public/catholic system is not delivering!

Hey my_02, can I get the name and number for that tutor. That's impressive! All your kids honors students without the help of their teachers! LOL But you are correct on the cost of education, if you continue to bash the teaching profession, teachers and education, you will eventually end up paying for private schooling.

The comments from the teachers seem to be that they think everyone makes more money than teachers. Not true.
Most of use make close to the same or less. So when you do your little job action...and take your professional day off every 3 weeks, and all the yearly breaks you get off, it is money directly out of my pocket. I don't get paid tomorrow, to stay home with my kids. So, you do job action and I get penalized? Why is that fair?
I understand that the teachers are frustrated. How about both sides be reasonable and settle a fair contract. That way I don't end up hating the people that are teaching my kids.

Why is it such a surprise that teachers don't get paid a lot? We've always known that If you don't want to smell like grease and beef. . .don't get a job at McDonald"s. If you want to get paid more then pick a different profession. Did they not listen all these years when people were complaining ?? Saskatchewan kids test a lot lower then other provinces. So who's fault is that?? Oh it must be the parents right? Heaven forbid the teachers take some responsibility!!! Stop focusing on the pay cheque and start focusing on the job you are to be doing. Do the job and then the money will come and nobody would have anything to say about it!

I am not sure how 12% is justified. What other occupation allows for 3 + months off per year, and 5.5 hrs. per day. Until the teachers begin working nights and 12 hour shifts, they can not compare their wages to a nurse. Here is a word of advice, if you want a job that pays a higher wage, do not become a teacher, find a job in the private sector. I think teachers are alot like children, who feel entitled to the best of everything. A higher wage, but yet to receive summers off. You may find this hard to understand being you haven't left school from the time you were 5 years old.

Hey my_02, why should you expect teachers to "give a damn" about your child if they work in a system you obviously don't "give a damn" about either. They work in a crumbling system and are sounding the alarm, and yes, that system includes attracting the best and brightest with appropriate wages. If you don't put priority on education, teachers and their retribution, who will? http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01eggers.html So what are you prepared to do about your child's "declining quality of education?

this strike is ridiculous!! A raise for a job well done is totally justified but a raise for all teachers. . .I dont think so. My child is in grade 4 and has already had 2 REALLY BAD teachers. I don't think that they even liked children. They need to come up with a system that rates the teachers on their preformance. That way the good teacher will get raises (not 12% in 1 year) and the bad teachers will hopefully realize that this is not the profession for them and move on. The number of kids attending Oxford, Sylvan, Kumon is ridiculous. There are a lot of teachers in our system who go to work and can't wait for 330, Friday and July to roll around and they don't care about the kids!! Where else can you go to work go through the motions have job security and expect a 12% raise. Teachers should not all get paid the same. There are ones who are passionate about teaching and love their job and then there are the ones who just want weekends and summers off.

Anyone who thinks that the teachers are being greedy and asking for too much - like the nurses did - need to contact their MLA and get their voices heard. Too many people voice their opinions in places like this but don't tell the decision makers how they stand.

It is time to put an end to unreasonable demands by union employees such as nurses and teachers! Perhaps they deserve a raise but NOBODY deserves a 12% increase in one year - BE REASONABLE!

I have noticed a tremendous decline in the quality of education that my kids have been getting lately. Teachers don't seem to give a darn about their students actually learning from their lessons. It seems that teaching has become robotic - the teacher presents the lesson, tests the kids and moves on whether or not the students have actually LEARNED the material!

Of course we would not get mad at the child for being sick, but this is a different scenario. It is frustrating because we are already making less than these teachers, and we have to take an unpaid day off work so that they can have their temper tantrum, meanwhile, they are still getting compensated for the day.
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I am getting so frustrated hearing parents say they were left stranded. what would they do if their child was sick? would they be angry at the child for not giving them enough notice? have they ever heard of planning ahead for the unexpected?

Good for the teachers for standing up for their rights. There are far too many unions in this province that the provincial government will not offer a fair deal to.

I always laugh when teachers say they don't get paid for summer holidays. They must not realize what an ANNUAL salary means. It means that is your pay for the whole year no matter how many hours they work. Many managers in private companies are paid either monthly or annual salaries. If they put in longer hours they don't get paid more, it is an expectation that is built into their pay. All those supposed extra hours are built into teacher's wages already. Teachers also are compensated with time off for noon and extra cur. supervision. They also have defined benefit pension plans. Who gets those anymore? Some teachers do put in more than their 5 hours per day but if they want a huge increase they need to start proving it. Punch a time clock like the rest of us. Rhetoric doesn't cut it when you are asking for 12%.

Paying teachers more does not assure you of a better calibre of teacher. Alberta is laying off teachers because they are saying they can't afford the wages so not a good province to make a comparison with as some of them will be job hunting.If teachers extra duties are voluntary then quit volunteering and start concentrating on the academics that's supposed to be what you went to university for to learn to impart knowledge. There are many parents that would like to see teachers start at 9 work until 4 teaching academics and take their PD days in July and August when school is out. One day walk out is just going to be like another many of the PD days that are already used by teachers to not be teaching.

Just look at it as another of the many PD days that teachers have every year.

Let SAHO take care of this dispute. They have the experience to deal with this situation as proved in other provincal labour issues. Expertise is needed here. Hash it out in the media through advertising and mailouts it worked in the past.

The U of R's direct entry program is extremely hard to get into, and schools boards across the western part of the country try to recruit U of R grads as they are immersed into the classrooms instantly. Approx 200 out of 600-800 applicants get in. People choosing ed as a fall back, not exactly...

LukeHush, really? Your comments were highly uneducated... Firstly , Kinesiology is not gym, second of all, I can name crazy amounts of degrees that are easy to obtain. I was really impressed with with the amount of ignorance in your post. A teaching degree as the last resort? Hardly! Just another person sharing their un informed opinion. Boy, it would be nice to throw you into a classroom for a week and see how you do!

For the sake of LukeHush's argument, I know one teacher who was accepted into both law and education - she turned law down to go into education. What do you conclude about that?

NE Sask- Please continue to support teachers. The work load and needs in the average classroom is unexplainable and reason enough to leave the profession tomorrow. New passionate teachers, like myself, and seasoned veterans are reconsidering whether or not to stay in the profession. The 12% that we are asking for is necessary to attract quality education candidates and keep young ones like me around in the future.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts

To LukeHush - while education is direct entry at the u of r, it is not at the u of s. It can be very competitive to get in at the u of s - many people complete an entire degree before they are accepted.

To base your opinion of the program on 3 people that you know is a terrible argument - there will always be outliers.

anon373208064 ... that assessment is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

please note that it is a 3 year contract - they're asking for 12,0,0 - this is slightly more than 4,4,4 once you account for inflation.

Suz11...I know three people with education degrees only because they failed out of other colleges. One additional person realized that a degree in kinesiology (gym) guaranteed them employment in the fast food industry. I don't want to say they don't deserve a fair wage but in the general scheme of things, an education degree is not really difficult to get. The real downside to an edc. degree is having to work in micro-towns. Getting a fulltime job in Saskatoon or Regina is nearly impossible because those teachers know they have it made.

It's interesting to hear parents say that teachers are 'putting their children's future in jeopardy' by taking a single day of action. Clearly, to those parents, a single day of school is a very important thing. Perhaps paying teachers according to the importance of the service they provide is in the best interests of students - as kids today clearly can't afford to miss a single day of their education without being tarnished for life. To anon477703445 - please note that the 8 weeks of summer are UNPAID time off. Teacher pay is calculated and paid out over a 10 month period, although many teachers work through a portion of the summer (without pay). Check your facts Reginald!

Teachers work hard, a 3% or 4% raise per year would be fine with me.

Teachers, please realize that taking strike action while your current bargaining position is 12% over one year, appears greedy to the regular joe taxpayer. You need to instruct your union to soften your stance or you will just lose more wages with strike days. You can't ever get that money back, and it should be yours.

Teachers, after decades of being willingly underpaid because the province was in trouble and they cared about kids, are finally telling us they need a raise to help them catch up with inflation.

The government has the callousness to say NO again, and that's why there's job action. Many people commenting below don't seem to understand what job action is for.

Forgotten in this entire mess is the right of STUDENTS to an education. I feel for the teachers, but when this is all over, it will be the students who will have been punished, not the government. We're not responsible for this situation, so please, don't hold our educations hostage to aid your negotiations!

Wow, if you think it is such a cushy job perhaps you too should earn your education degree and become a teacher; afterall it is such an easy job. These comments are very entertaining especially coming from people that just don't have a clue.

It's amazing. There are people here who just yesterday elected a federal government that's spending exorbitant amounts on prisons and fighter jets, but can't abide the idea of our province spending a little more money to get the best, brightest teachers for our children. Really?

First, I would like to make a correction:
Verisimilitude said "A teacher with a B.Ed degree starts at Class V or VI; a requirement. So out of university a teacher will make between 45-48,000 right now. Toping out at 80,000." A teacher with a B.Ed degree is placed as a class IV, two degrees is class V. As a teacher with TWO degrees AND a Masters in Education, my top out after 15 years right now is $80,957. I am not sure where you got your information but it is inaccurate. Top out for the regular 4 year BEd. is $73,036 after 15 years.
To all the people that are saying we are whining and should just go back to work, it's about more than just making enough money to maintain a middle class, pleasant lifestyle and provide for our families. We really just want to be appreciated and acknowledged for the hard work we do and all the things that we provide for your children. A better offer from the government would be a step towards this. Your comments prove that we are not appreciated.

I support teachers but 12% in 1 year is ridiculous. The average person out there is lucky to get 3% -5% as a yearly increase and they work way more days in a year. I support a reasonable increase, say 8% - 9% over 2 years but what they are asking for is sorry, but plain greedy. If the grass is so much greener in AB, which by the way it isn't as cost of living tends to be relative, then pack your boxes and go there. Like many others see you again in a couple of years when you are broke or can't find a job.

OK, so SK teachers get paid less than AB teachers. No big deal. SK teachers now get paid less than MB teachers - this has never ever happened.

You`re wrong. as many people have said here, and was very well-put by Darcoenius, this is a negotiation process. Teachers are not saying 12,0,0, all or nothing. They ARE pointing out that last year and this year are 0,0 since there is NO contract - so really, anything that is negotiated is already starting out at 0,0,X,Y,Z.

Teachers in Alberta, can't be doing much of a job, as that province has one of the highest high school drop out rates in all of Canada!

you have brought the teachers problem to the front and it is the increase. I don't know of anybody who would complain, much, at 12% over 3 years and then cost of living. The problem is the teachers have shown that they want it all and they want it right now.

please factor in the 12 weeks of paid holidays that teachers all across Canada get and yes, they are grossly overpaid!

Teachers , all across Canada, you work for us (the taxpayer,) and we as your employer are saying,shut your holes,do what your paid to do and then go out and enjoy your 12 week vacation!

Reggie.

Here are some facts you may not know about:

The gov't did NOT offer 5.5%: they offerred 1%,0%,0% plus a 4.5% increase in health benefits.

Teachers would accept 3%,3%,3%.

Teachers have never walked out since the formation of their union (1960's). They are now walking out for 1 day.

Teachers have not had a contract for 1, going on 2, years.

Teachers have agreed to 0%,0%0% in the past when "times were tough," while other unions refused to - teachers went without a raise for almost 10 years in the 80's.

While I don't disagree that teachers don't make spectacular amounts of money, I do think they need to look at what OTHER professions are getting for starting wages before complaining that they start at a low salary/don't get big raises.

If you get a science, computer science or commerce degree, you're often looking at a $30k a year starting salary (unless of course, you do finance/accounting as a major), so a $38k starting wage is nothing to complain about with a bachelor's degree. In industry, a 3% raise is pretty normal each year (assuming that your company and you perform well).

I also am rather annoyed by the comparisons between SK and AB wages...yes, they do have higher salaries, but don't forget the cost of living eats that up.

Our students and families needs are ever changing and we are continually looking for new strategies and methods to reach all of our students. This is done on our own time. Many weekends and evenings are spent catching up and preparing so that we can help each student reach their full potential. And as far as having summers off, there are many of us teachers that spend a good portion of it preparing for the upcoming year.

I love my job and I'm not complaining about the workload we have as teachers, but it does hurt to see so many ignorant people disgrace our profession. I am proud of the strides we have made in education - please educate yourself on the facts before you start shaming those who work hard to provide a better future for our children.

What I always find entertaining about the teaching profession is the number of individuals who consider themselves experts in the educational system because they were at one time a student. They believe this now qualifies them to assess teacher performance, value and retribution for services. This is about as absurd as qualifying oneself an expert in nursing after having been a patient. Why do we not place the same criticism on other professions? It's the foolish man who thinks he knows everything, the wise man who knows he does not.

Let's face it this isn't about how deprived or lucky teachers are in the teaching profession. It's about the value Saskatchewan society places on teachers and what they do for our children. It's not about one teacher, good or bad, it's about all teachers. You support them or you do not. Come what may, your decision determines the future of our youth. I put my faith and the future of my children in the hands of our teachers.

I teach because I love working with children. I delight in their growth and progress and truly feel as though I'm making a difference in their lives. I teach in an area where many of the children do not have a happy home life and coming to school is the best part of their day. As teachers, we understand that many of our students do not come to school ready to learn - so many of my students need love and attention before academic issues can be addressed. For those of you that say extra-curricular activities is not important, you have not seen the positive and lasting effects it can have on a child with a low self worth. Whether it be sports, choir, or a cooking club, these activities give children a chance to belong to a group and have something that is uniquely their own. If these services weren't offered in schools, many children from low-income families would miss out on the opportunity to participate as their parents cannot afford the expense.

To think that wages are booming in this province is false. Between 2006 and 2010, the average weekly wage increased a total of 19%, but one could easily guess that this number is skewed from the wage increases found in housing related industries or commodities.

Professionals that do not work in real estate industries or commodities such as teachers are not getting the wage increases that should be associated with the rise in the cost of living.

http://saskatoonhousingbubble.blogspot.com/2011/04/saskatchewan-house-prices-have.html

It is time to move to Alberta. I got tired of the whining from Sask residents. Come to Alberta and get paid what you deserve. People in SK don't get it. Good teachers leave because they are under paid in SK. Not only that but benefits are superior here to.

You have to look at the baseline of comparable peers to decide wether our teachers are being paid appropriately. Manitoba, Alberta and BC, all hire double degree teachers. The UofR and UofS have moved to this model as well (2yrs Arts, 3yrs Education = Class 5 teacher).

So a teacher of equivalent education at about the 10yr seniority level in Manitoba, makes $8000 more than Sask. That same teacher in Alberta make almost $24,000 more that their Sask counterpart.

Not arguing for or against just putting those numbers out there.

The following was posted on another site and no teachers wanted to try it out so lets see if any here are willing. Now we need to make some assumptions before we even start the simple math, here are the assumptions we need to make:

1) teachers are to be paid $4.00/hour/per student
2) teachers work 6 hours/day
2) 25 students in th class.
4) 197 days in the year.

Is everyone comfortable with my assumptions,, good then let's do some simple math

$4.00/hour/student x 6 hours = $24.00/student

$24.00/student x 25 students = $600.00/day

@600.00/day x 197 days = $118,000.00/year

any teachers willing to work at these rates?

when you support your child's teacher, you support the idea they do a job that You CAN'T do during your work day. they take care of your children for 6 hours every day, teach them, nurture them. SUPPORT means you value someone's work. I would hope that all the haters commenting will NEVER ask for a raise, will NEVER think they are worth MORE than what they are paid, and NEVER complain when they aren't treated fairly on a whole...... I LOVE my kids teachers. I am not a teacher..... I am the grateful parent for the job that the teachers at my children's school, do. : ) you guys deserve this!!!! : )

Hahah, obviously all those who believe teachers should not get a raise have not spent a day in the life of a teacher. 8:30-3:30 a day my but! Lets see, volunteering at least four out of five days a week not counting weekends trips, grading..every night.....lesson planning..every night....worksheet and hand out prep..everyday...summer= PLANNING. So more like 8:00am - 12:00am . I ony wish you could be a teacher for a week!hahah

I'm married to a teacher and we would both gladly take the government's offer. Unless the STF plans to pay our mortgage, but I don't think that's going to happen...The union leadership has one thing in mind and it is not the best interests of teachers or students.

Maybe the teachers union will pay my wifes wages for the day as she now has to take the day off work, WITH NO PAY. Way to go teachers for being so flipping greedy. All the people out of work, would love to make your wages. I have lost all respect for any teacher as they are proving money is more important then the job they signed up to do, THAT IS TEACH!!!!!

So 35% to the nurses was completely reasonable and teachers should be happy to get 5.5%? Really? How is that fair.

For all the negative commenters here, take a minute and think about all the things your teachers did for you and all the things they are doing for your kids. It's time we give teachers a decent pay raise.

The biggest problem here is a Union that has uncompromising demands at our children's expense, which prevents the quality teachers from making what they should, and the poor teachers from getting fired and replaced with better talent.

Finally, I have major issues with those who commented below about how bad their job is as if that's a justifiable reason for demanding more pay. In a real economy, such as Canada's, pay is driven completely by supply and demand. If you find it so awful to deal with our children all day, you are the exact person that needs to be replaced with a new graduate who is passionate about children and their jobs and is willing to work for what you are getting paid now.

Should teachers make more? Some of them - probably. Lots of them should probably make less.

Using a Union to take our children's education hostage, however, is both immature and inappropriate.

Another fact ... no one is forcing a teacher to teach. If they feel their talents and skills will make them more money elsewhere why don't they pursue those opportunities?

I personally know family and friends with a degree in education that work as waiters at bars because they can't find a job. I'm sure they'd be willing to step in at the current pay rates for any one of our current teachers that feels they are underpaid.

Supply is huge because people are attracted to the profession and they go into it knowing exactly how much they'll make ... perhaps its the summers off and the 5 hour work days? So if we have excess teachers who can't find a job, why do we need to pay more? Until we have trouble finding teachers, there is no need for a pay increase.

@sk reality check: I don't think you get it - their job description (official and unofficial) IS an emotion card.

Like it or not, teachers also need to pay off mortgages and they have children that they need to put through post-secondary. Teachers, as professionals, should not be punished because they chose to teach the kids of doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers, and other professionals. Teachers should not have to make sacrifices far larger than other professionals to send their own kids to post-secondary.

In response to: "Class I teachers have a salary of under $36,000. source: https://www.stf.sk.ca/portal.jsp?Sy3uQUnbK9L2RmSZs02CjV/Lfyjbyjsxs3Lwb6en706c=F"

A teacher with a B.Ed degree starts at Class V or VI; a requirement. So out of university a teacher will make between 45-48,000 right now. Toping out at 80,000.

A 12% increase puts a teachers salary between 50,000 and 90,000.

To suggest it is 36,000 is simply incorrect.

See classifications:
https://www.stf.sk.ca/portal.jsp?Sy3uQUnbK9L2RmSZs02CjV6+6OHjzI2Fdh5Nc94rxyv8=F

saskgrandma,
Perhaps some of the people who think teachers are being greedy should look back over the last 20 years and find out how many times when"times were tough"that the teachers took a 0% raise or very small raises, well now the govt. says times are the best they have ever been, should not the people who are responsible for educating our children be entitled to share in that. They spent many years going to university to do just that and have one of the hardest and most important jobs to do every day.

YES, extra-curricular programming is provided by teachers on a VOLUNTEER basis. This suggests that teachers choose to do it and at the end of the day it is a choice.
That said, it's no secret that there are unwritten expectations of teachers around extra-curricular programming. That is, teachers are expected to do it. The fact that there are expectations placed on teachers to provide extra-curricular activities has an impact on how much of this work that teachers do is actually CHOICE and VOLUNTEER. (Not all teachers "choose" to participate in extra-curricular activities, but all teachers receive the same salary commensurate with their training and experience.)
A few have stated that 12% for one year is a BARGAINING POSITION, so there is no need to reiterate that. (Oops!)
Teachers want to negotiate a new collective agreement that is fair and reasonable. End of story.

The teachers are being used as pawns by the NDP and the unions, and they are falling for it.

Only you will lose money when you don't work on strike days. You can never make up for those days pay.


The old days of unions getting away with spreading propaganda and lies is over, the internet allows the truth to come out.

All these teachers are saying we work hard and don't you care about your kids etc.... We all care about the kids and we all do think you work hard, so stop playing the emotion card.

Going on strike over a 12% annual raise demand is a slap in the face to the average Joe's paying your salary. Think about who is footing the bill here, and to top it off, you are stickin it to us and our kids by closing down the schools.

Yes, extracurriculars are "volunteer" work, but in many places, if a teacher does not volunteer, who will? In my own community, my dad coached 4 teams for 25 years - I won't go so far as to say he didn't enjoy it - he did - but at the same time, there was no parent willing to help. My dad had to miss much of my teams' games to coach his own teams. Now, is this still considered volunteer work? Maybe you shouldn't expect a teacher to go to workshops on their days off, but I can promise you that some do. Coaching clinics are always on weekends.

You need to think of all the other jobs that encompass the teaching profession. I am a teacher, social worker, behavioural consultant, a nutritionist, a health expert, a parent, a role model and finally a teacher. There are so many different aspects that are encompassed within teaching. I believe that what is being asked is very fair. Before you start attacking, think about yourself - would you be able to deal with all of the above plus more every day? Students spend at least 6 hours at school with their teachers (more for extra curr.) They have a strong hand in ensuring that YOUR child becomes a well rounded citizen.
Dig your head out of the ground.

Yes teachers are important - they educate our children, use their own money for supplies, do extra work outside of school hours, and dealing with upset parents is not pleasent. What I don't understand is what teachers are paid to do? Are they paid to prepare their materials and teach the curriculum only and nothing else from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM? For after school activities like sports and clubs I thought teachers volunteered their time. Do they need to be paid for this too? I have been told that you cannot expect a teacher to go to workshops on their days off even if it would benefit the students. Is it because they expect to be paid to go even though there is no continuing education requirement for their jobs?

My last question is this: Do the teachers realize what their job action on Thursday is going to happen to special needs students that need a stable school routine? Don't expect them to behave well on Friday.

hey Anonomous,

I too am an engineer. I do have respect for the teachers that actually teach and role model for my children. You're right about the shortage of Math and science teachers and that's why I teach my children those subjects so they will have an advantage to compete for whatever education they desire.

I don't count on the education system to teach my children everything they need to know because quite simply they can't. On the other hand, there are a number of teachers that don't teach or care. I've known from experience, if you don't like our job, then quite whining and resign. Otherwise, you accepted the job and it's conditions. Stop holding our children as hostages and start acting like adults!

Teachers have a huge part in shaping our kids for the future and I agree that teachers need to get paid more - they do a lot, but 12% in one year is unrealistic. Of course teachers are going to get all of these bad comments - nobody asks for that kind of raise. Make it more reasonable and you will get more support.

sk reality check:

Here is a reality check for you: When you accept a salaried position, you expect that that salary with remain competitive 5, 10, 20+ years after you accept that position. Teaching is a career and a lifestyle, not a job you might "dabble" in for a few years.

No other profession is the "worst paid profession." For that reason alone, maybe no other profession deserves a 12% raise?

Let's not forget how utterly underappreciated teachers are, as is evident in many of these comments.

As one poster previously said, many teachers spend longer with your kids each day than you do. Don't you value your child's upbringing? Teaching really does open the doors to all other professions: it makes all other professions possible.

First of all...to sappers: plumbers and electricians "apprentice" - 8 weeks of school/year. And, they and riggers get to collect EI in their off season, if they have one....most riggers I know make well over $90,000/year, only work 9 months and collect EI for the rest. No, I am not a teacher, but have total respect for the sh*t they put up with from parent and the kids themselves....its a job most people would quit in a heartbeat! Yes, 12% is a lot, however, its is well worth it! It will put them in line with other provinces and maybe we can keep the best of the best this way!
To rtp: go back to school....you must have failed grammer and spelling and are probably a rigger!
Bob the Plumber: You probably own your own business and have grunts working for you while you expense everything....but, for your sake, I won't complain about what you guys charge for a service call, with no work done at all! I think its referred to as a "consultation"

PS> Love how teachers are so busy, but are surfing the net during work hours!

Salaries teachers are getting are fair! Get back to work or go to the unemployment line! Bums! 12% one year are you kidding me! Why is our education getting worse but teachers are getting more. Teachers just arent as committed as they use to be. Now they think they are the chosen ones! Get a life and back to work!

No other professional job would ever get a 12% annual raise, period.

When you accept a salaried position, you accept all the hours and responsibilities that come with it.

Unless you've worked a day in the school system - you have absolutely no right to comment on how "easy teachers have it." Commenting on the professional development days, the holidays and the summers off is childish.
Teaching is not a 9-5 job. The day does not end when the students go home. There are countless hours of marking, prep work for the day, week, units being taught, exams being given, more marking. All of this needs to be done while at the same time they need to teach 30 kids.
We need our teachers to be paid what they deserve.
Telling teachers that they should quit, or budget accordingly for the summer months is ridiculous and it just shows the frame of mind these nay-sayers are in.
They want the best education for their children but are not willing to pay the educators a deserving salary. This is not 6 of one and half a dozen of another. They need to be paid accordingly and don't need to go another year accepting less than what they deserve.

Seeing as 95% of teachers were in favour of the strike, I would love to see where our province is, if we so called all "just quit", lol, which seems to be the answer to the dilemma. Just think of where you might be without school/teachers. Secondly, to even suggest teachers are about "punching the clock" is absolutely ridiculous, which completely shows your lack of education about teachers and their profession! Teachers would simply like to be recognized as professionals. Hardly much to ask when our province seems to cater to many other unions easily receiving 20 - 30% on their contracts!

I will point out that I am not a teacher but an engineer - both of my parents were teachers, so I've seen first hand the amount of heart and work they put into their jobs. So rtp000, don't make assumptions. It's disheartening that as a fellow professional, my starting salary was barely below the salary that my parents retired with.

rtp000: don't threaten teachers to quit - that's stupid. look at the shortage of math and science teachers our province has - it's very obvious that we can't afford it! Teachers put up with a lot of bs so that you don't have to - and from what I have seen, the worst part of the job is never the students, it's dealing with the parents!

Teachers need to decide if they want to be considered professionals or clock-punchers. All this talk about having to supervise floor-hockey after hours and not getting paid during the summer is a non-sequitur. Professionals earning a salary understand what the job entails and work until it is done. If you do not like the terms of your work, do something else. There are many that will willingly take your spot, especially in the bigger cities.

First, I am NOT a teacher but my sister was a teacher. She loved her job but she has lost all respect for the profession but more so for administrators. There are many good teachers but then there are too many teachers that should find another job that they are more suited for. Those supposedly two months off in the summer sound very tempting when one is deciding on a career. If you do NOT LOVE teaching, look for another job. No amount of money is going to make you love your job .

I went through the STF pay tables on their website and I have to say that the salaries seems totally fair. A 12% increase is completely out of line and given their extremely generous holiday allowances, I don't understand the problem. The only place there is a shortage of teachers is in the most rural of communities and it is there that there could be some wage incentives. Otherwise, any pay increase should be inline with what other unions are getting. Forget about other provinces - the situations are just too different.

I love how all these teachers work so hard, and yet seem to be able to post replies to this very article during school hours they're supposed to be teaching! The fact remains, perception is truth in the mind of the perceiver and the perception of week-ends, summers, etc. off is true!

Perhaps instead of acting like spoiled brats and walking off the job, you should garner pulbic / parental support and not their ire by forcing us to lose yet another valuable vacation day which we can't enjoy this summer with our families. Teachers certainly won't loose one of their summer days off, will they?

If you're unstaisfied and don't like your job, then quit! I know there's a lot of educated teachers in Saskatoon alone who would love a full time position teaching!

Better to stick to the facts and not bring plumbers into the conversation, as plumbers go to school for 4 years as well. So really, in the end everyone has their credentials and should be proud of them. Each professional has their own skill set and expertise.

It's also my understanding that the salary is for the entire year. Therefore, it makes no difference if one is paid over 10 months or 12 months. That's still what is made per year and does require some creative budgeting if payment is over 10 months.

What matters at the end of the day is that people in Saskatchewan receive quality services. I've witnessed some exceptional and outstanding teaching/teachers and I've also attended educational institutions where staff appear to attend to their Tim Horton's rather than their academic influence.

Class I teachers have a salary of under $36,000. source: https://www.stf.sk.ca/portal.jsp?Sy3uQUnbK9L2RmSZs02CjV/Lfyjbyjsxs3Lwb6en706c=F

A 12% increase brings that to $40,000 - is that really so ridicuous?

And I do believe that Cherry1 is right on - hours spent on prepwork, tutoring and help sessions, coaching morning and evening practices and games and weekend tournaments, guidance counseling, marking exams and assignments - the one hour alotted for "prep work" does not cover this, nor does the salary reflect this.

Are all you teachers commenting at school right now surfing the internet and posting comments?

12% is Totally Nuts in one year, Spread it over 3 years, Teachers are Paid very well and if it isnt High enough become a plumber and work 12 months of the year

There is a huge shortage of math, science, and french teachers in SK because anyone with this education can get paid far better elsewhere: this is a problem! Don't say teachers are "messing" with your childrens' lives - they're valuing their professional jobs and your childrens' education. Primary and Secondary Education are a foundation to our entire social and economic system - these children are our futures, and teachers need to be respected as such.

is this walk out for PUBLIC schools only or BOTH systems? would be great to know so our kids aren't left without an alternate for the day...

And I love how the perception of teachers is weekends, evenings and summers off....hahahah!!!! Hello, we are only paid for 10 months of the year, the so called 2 months off, are NOT PAID!!! And I would love to meet a teacher, who doesn't begin prepping 2 weeks before school starts (not paid for), and stays after school lets out for the summer to get things in order for the coming year. Coaching sports on the weekends and evenings (again not paid for) racks up countless once again unpaid for hours!!

12 % would only begin to place us in the playing field. Saying it's ridiculous is completely unfounded. Teachers in the past has opted to not ask for much, and finally have had enough. Countless unpaid overtime hours, huge demands from government to meet standards, expectations to have highly educated professionals (many who hold Masters degrees), yet zero support when seeking out some compensation for the work we do. I would invite any individual who disputes these demands, to spend a week in the life of a teacher, and maybe then you will only gain a slight glimpse of the the reality of the profession and thus understand the complete"fairness" of our offer. We are professionals by all accounts. Professionals who for 7 hours of the day are responsible for your children. I know I want the best education for my child, and would be willing to pay whatever it takes. if you don't support teachers, perhaps you would not!

nice try but plumbers that make over 80 grand a year work overtime and only get three weeks vacation a year

We should be helping our young adults make better choices. This is the Salary a teacher makes and this is the Salary of an Electrician or a plumber. If you choose to be a teacher you will make this much, but not as much as an Electrician. You made your choice. You thought you would have the summer off and it would be so cool...You could have chosen to be a plumber right commonsense101.

Before judging the 12% for one year, take a look at what that includes!

I agree with "sk reality check"...we want our teachers to be HIGHLY educated but we want to pay them less that any other professional. We tend to undervalue education and undervalue the people we trust with our children. Some teachers spend more time with our children than we do.

Would like people to checkout the % of the cost of living in Saskatchewan. I agree 12% is high for 1 year but 5.5% over three is ridiculous as well. Teachers and the government need to get together and be more realistic. As for playing games with the education of my kids...I blame both sides. I blame the government for undervaluing our education system and not offering a fair increase to teachers; teachers need to be more realistic in their asking (12% over 3 years would be more acceptable)

sk reality check:

Having professionals, usually with two university degrees, making less than plumbers, rig hands, etc is ridiculous.

Free market economics determines that those with the most training/education make more money.

Thanks for playing games with our children's education and future. Some professionals alright.

12% in one year is ridiculous