Court challenge put over in Alberta teachers’ fight on Charter veto

Lawyers for Alberta's teachers will be in court Thursday to try to get a judge to take action on a provincial law that ordered them back to work.

EDMONTON — A court date is being rescheduled for Alberta’s teachers in their fight to overturn legislation ordering them back to work.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association was to be in Edmonton court to set the wheels in motion on its legal challenge.

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The union says another date will soon be set for its injunction application.

Lawyers for the union want a judge to temporarily set aside all or part of a bill passed three weeks ago by Premier Danielle Smith’s government that ended a provincewide strike by 51,000 teachers.

They want the legislation paused pending a full hearing in the case.

The law imposed on teachers a collective bargaining agreement that they earlier rejected and invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield it from legal challenge.

The clause overrides certain Charter rights for up to five years.

Teachers argue the clause wasn’t used properly, while Smith has said her government had to end the strike because it was affecting the well-being of students.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2025.