Alberta Teachers’ Association wants ‘teachers rewarded’ for their hard work

The latest on a potential for a teachers’ strike or lockout in the province looms large as the first week of school is in the books.

Teachers and the Alberta government are still not talking as the threat of a strike or lockout remains for families as the first week of a new year wraps up.

“We’re still at an impasse with government in terms of where we are and where we are bargaining,” Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), told CTV Morning Live on Friday morning.

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Talks broke down on Aug. 28 and the province voted in favour of a lockout on Aug. 29.

The ATA has been ready to give 72 hours’ notice before teachers go on strike since June.

In this latest update, Schilling said teachers are “seeing some of the largest classes they’ve seen in their careers” but are continuing to work.

On the bargaining table, he says the ATA is continuing to fight for fair wages.

“They’ve only received a 5.7 per cent increase in the past 10 years,” he said, adding that the cost of living has gone up a lot since then.

“Teachers are looking for a salary that will make up for lost inflation, keep up with current inflation and reflect the increased workload they will see in their classrooms.”

‘Negotiated settlement’

Schilling said he’s not at liberty to discuss what figures teachers are looking for but is willing to get back to bargaining whenever the government sees fit.

The ideal situation to solve the labour dispute, he says, would be a proper deal.

“I’d like to see teachers rewarded for the work that they do,” Schilling said. “We would like to see a negotiated settlement that would reflect the nature of what we are experiencing right now and to try to make education better.”

Schilling said present talks are at a standstill.

“The problem with an impasse is that both parties are stuck in what they would like to see, but teachers have been clear about what they want to see in their classrooms,” he said.

“We need government to come to the table to show that they respect and value, as they’ve said in the past, teachers and public education in this province.”

The ATA’s strike mandate will expire on Oct. 7.

Both parties must give 72 hours’ notice before any action can be taken.

Horner’s take

Treasury Board president and Finance Minister Nate Horner said solving the impasse is in the ATA bargaining team’s hands.

“Refusing to bargain now is not an effective labour relations strategy and is unfair to all teachers across Alberta,” Horner said in a statement released Friday evening.

Horner said a settlement proposal from the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) on Aug. 26 agreed to “the hiring commitment requested by the ATA—hiring 3,000 new teachers over the course of the three school years of the agreement.”

He said that proposal also agreed to “a similar compensation offer that was previously recommended by the ATA to their members.”

And he said this was while considering the current economic situation overall.

“Last week, I shared the first quarter fiscal update and economic statement and mentioned that 2025 has brought its share of challenges for everyone. We are now forecasting a $6.5 billion deficit, our first deficit in five years,” Horner said in his statement.

“Considering our fiscal update, making room for $750 million was not going to be easy, but we were committed to reaching a fair deal for teachers and stability for students and families.”

According to Horner, TEBA and the government are eager to negotiate.

“While union leaders reconsider their tactics, TEBA remains ready to return to the table to secure a fair agreement,” he said.

“Our government is committed to a responsible outcome that balances the needs of teachers, families and taxpayers alike.”