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Alberta teachers have rejected the provincial government’s latest contract offer, setting the stage for a provincewide strike next week.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, which represents 51,000 teachers across the province, announced Monday that nearly 90 per cent of those who voted over the past three days rejected the deal.
Union president Jason Schilling told reporters the “historical” no vote was a sign of just how disrespected teachers are feeling and a clear indication that teachers need more to succeed than what the province is offering.
“Teachers have been told time and time again the government will make it right the next time,” said Schilling. “Well, the next time is here.”
The rejected offer, which stemmed from a brief bargaining session earlier this month following a break in talks, included a 12-per-cent pay raise over four years and a government promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address class sizes.
Finance Minister Nate Horner said Monday he was disappointed with the vote as he believed the offer would’ve addressed major issues for teachers, such as overcrowded classrooms.
“With over 50,000 new students added to our education system in the last two years, these investments were needed now more than ever,” Horner said in a statement.
He also laid blame on union leaders for not explaining clearly what teachers are looking for.
“This is the second time teachers have rejected a potential settlement that provided what their union said teachers wanted in response to growing classroom complexities,” he said.
“I encourage the (union’s) leadership to take time to meet with their members and gain clarity on what teachers are seeking out of a deal. Students and families deserve stability.”
Premier Danielle Smith, speaking at an unrelated event Monday evening in Calgary, said she was also disappointed and that her government would announce supports for families on Tuesday should teachers go on strike.
Schilling said the union is open to further negotiations, but all signs are pointing to teachers hitting the picket lines next Monday.
A strike would see classes disrupted for more than 700,000 students across 2,500 schools.
Schilling said teachers know the impact that a strike could have, but he said families and students already know the impact of underfunded public education, and that they deserve better too.
He added that the government’s hiring commitments — including 1,500 full-time educational assistants — would do little to address the overcrowded and overwhelming classroom conditions teachers are facing.
“Public education is in a crisis right now. Let’s not sugar coat that,” he said.
“Teachers are looking for something more concrete, more sustainable, that they can see, that will move forward into the future, that will help them meet the needs of their students.”
He also said teachers deserved a bigger salary bump, noting that over the past decade teachers have seen raises of less than six per cent while their workload increased substantially.
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