Job Action Affects Junior/JV Basketball Playoffs

The on-going dispute between the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and the provincial government is set to settle who will compete in the junior and junior varsity basketball finals.

With the announcement last week that teachers will not be participating in extracurricular activities on Monday and Tuesday the policy kicked in where teams would forfeit.

The Monday and Tuesday job actions has already meant the quarter finals have been decided according to the policy.

The policy was developed due to the tight schedule of the Junior/JV playoffs as some players will be moving up to bolster their school’s senior basketball team.

The policy is “If both teams are unable to play their Quarter Final or Semi Final game on the scheduled date, a default win will be awarded to the higher seeded team.”

The Finals cannot be decided by both teams being unable to play. Teams can reschedule at a mutually agreeable date but must be completed by March 13th.

Teams with the lower season record than their opponents immediately forfeit the game.

There is to be no rescheduling.

Screenshot of games forfeited due to job actions cancelling teacher involvement in extracurricular activities

So far it has been announced that the seasons of the Peacock junior girls, Peacock JV boys team, Briercrest JV boys team and the Central Gold junior boys are over as they forfeit their quarter final games.

Teams advancing to the semifinals are the Lumsden junior girls, Gravelbourg JV boys, Notre Dame JV boys and the Lumsden junior boys.

On Sunday the STF announced further job action which includes withdrawing from extracurricular activities on Wednesday.

The Wednesday withdrawal from extracurricular activities by the STF will not affect junior basketball teams in Moose Jaw.

However the withdrawal of extracurricular activities do affect Lumsden teams.

As such the Lumsden junior girls 2 - 8 forfeit to Central junior girls with an 8 - 2 record.

There are four semi-final matchups scheduled for Thursday which are so far not impacted by job actions.

If the parties do head back to the bargaining table the job action will be canceled and the games played.