Alberta teachers to vote on strike in early June

A classroom at an elementary school in Toronto pictured on Jan. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

After members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike authorization vote last week, another vote will take place in early June to determine if teachers will actually take to the picket line.

Collective bargaining agreement negotiations have remained in limbo since teachers’ contract ended in August 2024.

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The province said it is ready to return to the bargaining table “at any time,” but did not provide any new information on the strike vote.

In a Thursday statement, ATA president Jason Schilling said “concrete steps are needed to improve the neglect the teaching profession has suffered over the last decade.”

The ATA rejected a mediator’s recommendations for a new provincial collective agreement earlier this month. The recommendations included a general wage increase of three per cent per year, a process for teachers to deal with classroom complexities and $400 million in classroom improvements.

Following the rejection, the ATA initiated a strike authorization vote to gauge the temperature of its members. Nearly all who voted were in favour of going to a strike vote.

• 99 per cent of Alberta teachers urge for formal strike vote

If the strike vote passes, teachers have 120 days to take action unless a resolution is made between the provincial government’s Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association and the ATA.

Some of the ATA’s demands include wage increases and supports to address complex needs in crowded classrooms.

Voting will take place June 5-8.