After a prolonged contract disagreement, 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) commenced a strike on Monday morning. This situation impacts over 730,000 students in Alberta, with more than 142,000 enrolled in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE).
The ATA members, teaching in various schools, turned down a proposal that included a 12% wage increase over four years, salary grid improvements, and free access to the $100 COVID-19 vaccine for teachers without health concerns. Unfortunately, the offer, opposed by 89.5% of ATA voters, also promised to create 3,000 new teaching positions, a number deemed insufficient by the ATA President Jason Schilling, who argues for more teachers, better class support, and pay raises to match inflation.
Despite the rejection, the commitment to hire 1,500 additional educational assistants by 2028 remains intact. Both sides are engaged in ongoing discussions to seek a non-adversarial resolution, as stated by Schilling to the Calgary Eyeopener.
During the strike, students can access online learning resources like D2L and Google Classroom provided by the CBE. Additionally, the province offers free K-12 curriculum toolkits and eases distance education credit limits for students in grades 10-12.
To support families, the government will provide $150 per week for parents of children aged 12 or younger affected by the strike. Applications for this assistance start on October 14, with payments set to begin on October 31.
While classes are suspended, support staff such as bus drivers and custodians will continue working. However, educational assistants and support workers will not replace teachers. Various care programs and increased childcare subsidies are available for affected families during the strike.
The decision to retain support staff lies with the school boards, with confirmed commitments from unions representing these workers. This strike marks the first province-wide teacher strike since 2002, underlining the significance of the ongoing labor dispute.
