Teachers in Alberta will strike Oct. 6 if they do not receive a negotiated settlement through bargaining, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) announced Wednesday morning. “We’re ready to be at the table, and they’ve been invited to join us, but let me be clear: Oct. 6 is coming quickly. The choice is theirs: Solve this dispute or face a provincewide teachers strike,” said ATA president Jason Schilling during a news conference at the association’s headquarters in west Edmonton. He said the timeline is meant to give families clarity and time to prepare. However, he did not give any more details about what the potential job action could look like. “We will release more information about what that looks as we move on, and hopefully parents will be able to adapt to that and understand that things are very fluid in the chain – daily, almost – right now,” Schilling said. Teachers have until Oct. 7 to hit the picket line after voting in favour of a strike in June. Negotiations on a new collective agreement between the ATA and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) resumed in August but quickly stalled. Teachers have asked for wage increases and more supports for growing class sizes and complexities. They have been offered wage increases of 12 per cent over four years. The provincial government has also promised to hire 3,000 teachers over the next three years. Both Premier Danielle Smith and Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Nate Horner expressed disappointment over the deadline to reach a deal. “I want to see what the teachers put on the table, but I have to be very clear that we are settling with most of our unions offering three per cent per year for four years. That’s 12 per cent over four years. Any amount higher than that means that you can’t hire more teachers and more education assistants. Something’s got to give here,” Smith said during an unrelated news conference in Calgary Wednesday morning. The ATA has not specified what teachers are asking for, with Schilling saying Wednesday “we won’t bargain a percentage within the media.” Horner said the government is committed to reaching a fair deal, but that announcing a strike one month in advance sows stress and uncertainty. TEBA also has approval to initiate a lockout. “If the government locks us out, then I’ll question if they really, truly believe in what they’ve been saying about public education in the province,” Schilling said. The ATA represents 51,000 members. Plans in case of strike action Edmonton public schools released a note to parents on Wednesday afternoon confirming all classes, field trips and extracurriculars will be paused in the event of a strike. Superintendent of schools Ron Thompson reminded parents the school board is not responsible for direct negotiations but will provide updates as it can as Oct. 6 approaches. Some parents told CTV News Edmonton the situation is frustrating and challenging for families. “If they go on strike, and there’s no school, who’s going to take care of my kids?” asked mother Patience Davies. One student said some kids can’t afford to miss class time. In response to concern, some organizations in the city, like the YMCA, are already planning a programming shift in the event of a strike. This would include full-time licensed childcare and extended hours at health, fitness and aquatic centres. Families in part-time programming will be given first priority for full-time slots. “We know they have to go to work. We would operate like we would on a PD day,” said YMCA Northern Alberta Childcare VP Annalise Yuzda. Telus World of Science Edmonton is also looking at offering day camps if schools are closed. Registration information will be made available on the centre’s social media accounts. Schilling noted that despite not receiving strike pay, teachers have agreed the time for half measures is over. It is still unclear whether Alberta will see a rolling strike or if all schools will close immediately. With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg, Brenden Purdy
