The True Pos(Web News) Alberta teachers have rejected the provincial government’s latest contract offer, raising the possibility of a province-wide strike next week.
The Alberta Teachers Association announced the results Monday evening, confirming that nearly 90 per cent of members had rejected the interim agreement.
The union, which represents 51,000 teachers in the province, had already made it clear that teachers would go on strike on October 6 if the agreement was rejected.
Union president Jason Schilling said the vote reflects that teachers have deep concerns about the government’s long-term education investment and the teaching environment.
He said that the teachers were repeatedly told that the government would take the right steps next time. Now the next time has come.
He added that the union is still ready to negotiate with the government before the October 6 deadline.
“We need a serious conversation about what teachers want to see in their classrooms. A new beginning is needed now.”
The proposed deal included a 12 percent pay increase over four years and an offer to hire 3,000 additional teachers to reduce class load. However, these measures also failed to satisfy teachers. A last-minute proposal, under which the government would bear the cost of teachers’ Covid-19 vaccines, also failed to win votes.
Provincial Finance Minister Nate Horner said in a statement: “I regret that Alberta teachers have rejected the interim proposal for a new four-year central contract. It is now up to the union to decide its next steps.”
“After the contract was rejected twice, I am forced to wonder whether the union actually knows what its members want,” he said.
The provincial government has called the offer “strong and beneficial” for Alberta’s education system.
