‘It’s not actually about the pay’: advocates, officials react to strike vote

Teachers in Alberta could issue a 72-hour strike notice any time in the next 120 days, leaving parents in limbo. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg reports.

Teachers are sending a message to the province, and it’s not just about how much they get paid, said one advocate.

“It’s not actually about the pay or the take home, it’s really about the conditions,” said Wing Li, communications director of Support our Students. “It’s impossible to teach 40 to 50 kids.”

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Nearly 39,000 Alberta teachers voted in favour of job action.

Amanda Chapman, NDP education critic, said the discontent comes as no surprise.

“Teachers have been flagging concerns about classroom size and complexities for a number of years now, and, really, the government hasn’t done anything to address that,” said Chapman.

“The UCP is still choosing to fund our students at the lowest level in the country, and this is the consequence of that decision.”

Teachers have 120 days to take action unless a resolution is made between the provincial government’s Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) and the ATA. This means that if an agreement isn’t made over the summer, the beginning of the school year could be compromised.

“We know that it’s going to cause an inconvenience,” said ATA president Jason Schilling. “It also causes an inconvenience to our members because they want to be in classrooms working with kids.”

If teachers do go on strike, the ATA has 72 hours to alert school boards and the province about any job action.

The ATA rejected a mediator’s recommendations for a new provincial collective agreement last 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.

• Large majority of Alberta teachers vote in favour of striking

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.

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

The ATA has two meetings scheduled with the TEBA this month and more may be scheduled in August if needed.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg and CTV News Calgary’s Todd McDermott