About Us
Welcome to the Saanich Teachers’ Association website. As a member of our union, you have access to a wide range of resources and information that can help you succeed in your career.
The Saanich Teachers’ Association (STA) represents approximately 600 public school teachers working in the municipalities of Saanich, Central Saanich, North Saanich, and Sidney in British Columbia, Canada. All public school teachers, including those in the STA, belong to the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and follow its professional standards.
The STA is dedicated to advocating for fair working conditions, upholding the provisions of our collective agreement, and supporting Saanich teachers by providing meaningful professional development opportunities.
The Executive Committee
Our Executive Committee (EC) is made up of dedicated educators who are committed to advocating for the rights and needs of our members, and to ensure that the STA is running as efficiently as possible. They are fellow teachers and STA members who bring a diverse range of experiences and perspectives to the table, working collaboratively to oversee the governance of the STA. The EC meets on a monthly basis at the EC Assembly – all members are welcome to attend, but only EC members have voting rights.
The Executive (EC) is composed of table officers, committee chairs, and members at large. The table officers include:
- The president
- Two vice presidents
- Immediate past president (for one term only)
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Two local representatives (LR) to the BCTF
Other members of the executive include the following committee chairs and representatives:
- Bargaining chairperson
- Professional development chairperson
- Program coordinator
- Social justice representative
- Teachers-teaching-on-call representative
- Health and safety representative aboriginal representative
- French educators representative
- Up to five members-at-large, including one position for a member that identifies as Indigenous, black, or a person of color, and one position for a member that identifies as LGBTQ2S+
The Representative Assembly
The Representative Assembly (RA) includes staff representatives from each worksite as elected by each site’s staff, as well as the members of the Executive Committee. The RA works collaboratively to ensure that the voices of our members are heard. They are responsible for overseeing the work of the union, making important decisions about policies and initiatives, and advocating for the interests of our members, as well as communicating union business back to their colleagues.
Objectives of the STA
The objectives of the Association shall be
To foster and promote the cause of education in Saanich;
To raise the status of the teaching profession in Saanich;
To promote the welfare of the teachers of Saanich;
To represent the Association’s members and to regulate relations with their employer through the terms of provincial regulations;
To represent the views of the Association’s members as part of the BCTF, within the terms of BCTF Policies and Procedures.
What else does the STA do?
While our main responsibility is to uphold the collective agreement and teachers’ rights with the employer, the STA engages in many other activities that benefit our members including:
Hosting various events throughout the year like, the Induction Ceremony, member engagement activities, and the Retirement Banquet.
We award our scholarships to one graduating students at each of our five secondary schools, and one student graduating at the Indigenous graduation ceremony.
Provide leadership opportunities for our members through engagement within the various Association committees.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to get involved, please visit our Opportunities for Members page, or get in touch with us. We’d love to have you!