What you need to know about the potential Alberta teachers’ strike, lockout

With only days left in the summer break, Alberta teachers and the province resumed bargaining on Tuesday in an effort to avoid a looming strike.

As negotiations on a collective agreement between Alberta teachers and the province resume Tuesday, CTV News Edmonton has gathered all you need to know as a potential strike and lock out looms.

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What do teachers want?

While teachers have received just a six per cent wage increase over the last 12 years, that isn’t the only thing they’re asking to be included in the new collective agreement.

Teachers are looking for more supports as class sizes have increased in recent years while the number of teachers has been on the decline.

A pulse survey done this year indicated that 69 per cent of teachers said their class sizes were larger last year, with 40 per cent of respondents saying they had more than 30 students in their classroom.

About 90 per cent of survey respondents indicated that they have seen an increase to the complexity of their student’s needs while 58 per cent reported a decrease in resources supporting students with special needs.

The previous agreement expired on Aug. 31, 2024.

As the school year ended, an overwhelming number of Alberta teachers showed support of a strike vote with only 1,522 voting against strike action out of nearly 39,000 teachers.

Teachers have until Oct. 7 to initiate a strike

What has the province offered?

In the spring, a mediator recommended a general wage increase of 12 per cent over four years. The deal also included a provincial commitment of more than $400 million in classroom improvements, which would have started this fall.

A process for teachers to take when concerned about classroom complexity affecting their ability to teach was included in the struck-down deal along with a unified teacher wage grid across the provinces.

Teachers rejected the recommendation with 62 per cent of voters against and 37.6 per cent in favour. Some 35,800 of 44,100 registered voters participated.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association, which represents K-12 educators across the province, was looking for $11.35 billion in the Alberta budget which earmarked $9.9 billion for education.

Budget 2025 allowed for $3.57-a day per student while the national average sits at $10-a day per student.

Nate Horner, the minister of treasury board and finance, said he is confident that both parties will reach a “fair and reasonable settlement for teachers.”

What happens if teachers decide to strike? What about a lockout?

If the ATA and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) are at odds, a few things could happen.

The ATA could initiate rotating strikes across the province, meaning that strikes could happen at different times in different areas. Specific areas of the school day would be impacted like before and after school supervision, as well as lunch and recess supervision and extracurriculars.

Full school days are very much on the line as well, but will likely rotate through different school boards.

The ATA has to give a 72-hour strike notice, giving families some breathing room as they make child-care arrangements.

Meanwhile, TEBA could lock out teachers from working as a way to put pressure on negotiations and get a deal signed. This could look like changing locks and getting security personnel at schools.

TEBA plans to vote on whether to lock out teachers or not on Friday.