‘We’ll do what we need to do’: Edmonton parents planning for likely teachers’ strike

Jason Foster, professor of labour relations at Athabasca University, joined CTV Your Morning Edmonton on the upcoming Alberta teachers' strike.

Alberta families say a teachers’ strike, which could possibly begin next week, would be difficult to manage, but that they understand where teachers are coming from.

On Monday, nearly 90 per cent of Alberta’s teachers rejected a tentative agreement between their union and the provincial government. If an agreement is not reached by Oct. 6, teachers will strike.

CTV News Edmonton spoke to several parents about how they are feeling about the potential job action.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

“I think it’s about time that our teachers took a stand,” said parent Alyson Winkelaar.

“The state of our public system right now is a bit outrageous, and the level of contempt that our government shows our working teachers is unacceptable.”

“It’s going to be hard for us,” Sabastion Bartlett, another Edmonton parent, admitted.

Both he and his wife work, but one parent will have to stay home if teachers strike, as two of the couple’s three kids are school age.

“I understand about the teachers being exhausted and having so many students in their class. I could feel for them and they just need a lot more help and they’re not getting any. So I can understand.”

In total, 43,362 members of the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) participated in the Monday vote.

Speaking Wednesday morning, ATA president Jason Schilling said the union does not have any more negotiations scheduled so a strike is likely.

A strike would impact about 700,000 students across 2,500 schools.

Teachers would strike by not attending their school and hosting public rallies. They will not picket at schools.

The city’s public school board told CTV News Edmonton students should begin taking home any personal belongings or valuable items in the days leading up to Oct. 6.

If a strike happens, the school board said classes would be paused for all students. Yellow buses will not run.

All field trips, extra-curriculars, athletics, clubs and other school-related activities would be cancelled.

“We’ll have to do what we can,” said Paul Alberto, whose daughter will stay in daycare if teachers walk off the job next week.

“I knew that we were expecting it to happen. Valid complaints. So it’s understandable, but I just have to hope things work out for the little one.”

Lynette Mueller, whose child is in the fourth grade, said she plans to use the time to write letters to her MLA and spread the word about conditions in the classroom.

“I think that [teachers] showed in solidarity that public education is broken and underfunded,” she said on Tuesday.

“I hope [the province] will start listening to what Albertans are saying and what they’ve been saying for a while.”

John Mahon may have to take on caring for his grandchildren in a strike, as his daughter and son-in-law work full time.

“My first thought was that almost 90 per cent of the teachers rejected the contract offers, so there must be something wrong with it,” he said.

“I hope the strike’s not too long. I hope they resolve it. But we’ll do what we need to do.”

If teachers strike, the Alberta government will provide up to $150/student per week to guardians of children 12 and under starting Oct. 31, as well as a free home-learning kit for the core subjects.

“I don’t think that that’s enough,” Bartlett, who is also the vice president of the parent advisory council at St. Justin Catholic Elementary School, said. “It’s the demands of what teachers are saying. They’re not being heard.”

Schilling said that kind of financial assistance would amount to more than what teachers make.

“It seems like they’d rather pay parents than actually sit down and have a conversation about what kind of settlement we could find,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

“It feels like a distraction,” added Athabasca University labour relations professor Jason Foster. “It feels like it’s probably just an attempt to try and shift public opinion on the issue, rather than try and solve the problem.”

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the province for comment Wednesday morning.

What to do if children can’t go to school next week

The City of Edmonton has compiled a list of pop-up day camps available for elementary-aged children in case schools close on Monday.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo, Muttart Conservatory and John Walter Museum are each hosting camps for children aged six to 10.

Fort Edmonton Park and Whitemud Park will offer aged six to 12 programming.

All of the programs are set to begin on Monday with the exception of the conservatory, which will begin the next day.

Each camp, the city said, is adapted from existing programs and, while not being a replacement for teachers, can provide childcare and learning opportunities during an “uncertain time.”

The programs will not be fully scheduled or run unless schools close. Registration will cost money, but putting your name on the waitlist is currently free.

More information on the camps can be found on the city’s website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Angela Amato and Miriam Valdes-Carletti, CTV News Calgary’s Stephen Hunt