After a prolonged contract dispute, 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) commenced a strike on Monday morning. This strike will impact over 730,000 students in the province, with more than 142,000 students enrolled in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE).
The ATA members, who work in various types of schools across Alberta, decisively turned down an offer that included a 12% wage increase over four years, salary upgrades for most teachers, and complimentary access to the $100 COVID-19 vaccine for teachers without health concerns. Despite the offer also promising to fund 3,000 additional teaching positions, ATA President Jason Schilling expressed that the proposed number falls short of the required 5,000 new teachers. Schilling emphasized the necessity for more support to manage larger class sizes, more complex teaching situations, and salary adjustments that align better with inflation.
Additionally, the rejected deal included a pledge to hire 1,500 more educational assistants by 2028, a commitment the province still plans to fulfill. Schilling mentioned ongoing discussions between the two sides to find a mutually agreeable resolution without confrontation.
During the strike, students will have access to online learning resources such as D2L and Google Classroom provided by CBE. The school board clarified that teachers will not be monitoring or evaluating student work during this period. To support continued learning, the province is offering free K-12 curriculum toolkits and lifting the 10-credit per year limit on non-primary distance education for students in grades 10 to 12.
To assist families affected by the strike, the provincial government is providing financial aid of $150 per week to parents or guardians of students aged 12 or younger. Applications for this support can be submitted online from October 14, with the first payments scheduled for e-transfer on October 31.
While classes are suspended, school support staff, including bus drivers, custodians, and educational assistants, are expected to remain on duty. Southland and First Student confirmed that their bus drivers will continue working during the strike for training and operational reasons. Educational assistants and support workers at CBE and the Calgary Catholic School District will also continue their duties, as stated by their respective boards.
Furthermore, the province is offering enhanced subsidies for licensed full-time child care and free entry to heritage sites and museums for children 18 and under. Support staff decisions to continue working during the strike are at the discretion of the school boards.
The article concludes by noting that this strike marks the first province-wide teacher strike since 2002 when the then-Premier ordered striking teachers back to work after nearly three weeks of job action.
