SIAST, SGEU still at odds over mediation agreement

SIAST has signed a new mediation agreement in the hopes of getting both sides back to the table with the provision that neither party would take any job action during the mediation process, something SGEU has previously said they will not do 

Mediator Tom Hodges gave SIAST and the Saskatchewan Government and Employees’ Union (SGEU) a new mediation agreement on Thursday, which SIAST says they immediately signed. 

“SIAST is ready to be in mediation and ready (to) have our students back in the classroom on Monday,” said SIAST president Dr. Robert McCulloch. 

SGEU has not signed the new mediation agreement and on Thursday cited a number of disputes where mediation happened while strike action was taking place. 

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

One of those examples was the SIAST strike in 2004. Instructors walked off the job in series of rotating strikes before engaging in a full-scale strike. SGEU says that dispute was resolved with the help of a conciliator. 

“Mediation and conciliation commonly occur while unions are on strike,” said Jim Steele, chairperson of SGEU’s SIAST Academic negotiating committee. “That is often the way labour disputes get resolved.” 

SIAST says the new mediation agreement also differs from the previous agreement it signed in that it shortens the length of time for the mediator to deliver recommendations. 

SGEU has previously stated that a recommendation could be ready by Tuesday if the parties meet over the weekend. 

The new agreement would have both parties back in mediation on Saturday morning. 

Meanwhile, the SIAST Students’ Association for Kelsey and Woodlawn (SSA) campuses is now seeking answers from Education Minister Rob Norris. 

“The students are the key stakeholders and they deserve answers to their questions regarding their education,” stated SSA president Jaelyn Willness. 

Key among those questions is whether the government allocated funds in the last two budgets to mitigate a potential labour dispute and what steps the government will take to allow students to resume their education after mediation has failed three times in the last two years. 

More than 15-thousand students attend four SIAST campuses in Saskatchewan.