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The Alberta Teachers’ Association has served formal notice of strike action, confirming a province-wide walkout will begin Oct. 6 at 12:01 a.m. if no deal is reached.
Rocky View Schools said in a Sept. 12 update the notice covers a general strike. “A general strike means that teachers and school administrators are required to stop all services and leave RVS facilities. Schools will be closed for all students,” the division said.
“For now, there is no disruption to learning or any changes to normal operations. All RVS schools and facilities remain open, and classes and planned activities are continuing as normal,” the division said. “Community use continues to be available for booking RVS facilities. We remain hopeful that the provincial government and the ATA reach a negotiated settlement soon. We are committed to keeping families and staff informed and will share updates through our website, email and other communication channels as more information becomes available.”
The ATA first announced the strike date on Sept. 10. In a media release that day, president Jason Schilling said, “What teachers want is simple: classrooms that are properly funded and wages that reflect their value to Alberta’s future. For the government to state that teachers would sacrifice their students’ learning conditions for salary is insulting. Teachers should not have to choose one or the other.”
The release added: “Teachers have continually been disrespected and vilified by this government … Teachers’ patience has run out. … The province must step up with a fair deal that shows a real commitment to teachers and public education. We are ready to meet at the table and have invited TEBA to join us.
“Let me be clear—October 6 is coming quickly. The choice is theirs: solve this dispute now or face a provincewide teachers’ strike.”
Later the same day, Schilling said, “Public education is in a crisis, full stop. October 6th is coming quickly. The choice is theirs: solve this dispute or face a province-wide teacher strike.” He repeated the same phrase from the earlier release, and added, “Council needs to discuss next steps … if it’s a full strike, then it’s a full strike, and council will make that [decision].”
RVS said on Sept. 10 that “the ATA’s announcement is not an official legal strike notice. No legal strike notice has been issued to the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA).”
Treasury Board president and Finance Minister Nate Horner said he was “disappointed that the ATA is using the potential disruption of the school year as leverage in its pursuit of additional compensation. Announcing a strike commencing October 6 before the parties have resumed negotiations only serves to increase stress among Alberta’s students and families.”
He said the government’s Aug. 26 proposal included “hiring 3,000 new teachers over the course of the three school years of the agreement,” at a cost of about $750 million, along with a general wage increase of 12 per cent over four years and further adjustments for most teachers.
Alberta’s government is forecasting a $6.5 billion deficit this year, Horner said. “Considering our fiscal update, making room for $750 million was not going to be easy, but we were committed to reaching a fair deal for teachers and stability for students and families.”
On Aug. 29, RVS said school boards had voted to give the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association authority to engage in a lockout if necessary. “This vote provides Alberta school boards with the ability to protect students and communities if the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) initiates a work stoppage. It does not provide individual school boards with the authority to initiate a lockout,” the division said.
In a June 10 letter, RVS told families: “A strike vote is a step in the provincial bargaining process which could lead to labour action. If the ATA took labour action they would need to provide 72 hours notice. They would have up to 120 days from now to begin labour action. We do not know if labour action will be taken or how long it could last.”
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