Half of Albertans say use of notwithstanding clause to end teacher strike inappropriate: Leger poll

The Alberta teacher strike is still front and center for most Albertans, and just over half believe Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s use of the notwithstanding clause was inappropriate, according to a survey conducted by Leger.

According to the new poll released Friday, the strike has been an issue that most respondents have been paying attention to the teacher strike, at 74 per cent.

Leger says the stat shows how the issue “continues to dominate the public conversation,” even after the United Conservative government used the notwithstanding clause to end the strike and force them back to work.

A notable point in the survey is that respondents believe the teachers’ union — the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) — handled the situation more effectively than the provincial government.

Leger says this lines up with the stronger credibility it has maintained throughout the dispute.

The province is a little more divided on how the provincial government legislated the teachers back to work, with 39 per cent supporting the move, while 47 per cent oppose it.

But it’s clearer on the use of the clause, with 51 per cent of Albertans believing its use was inappropriate, compared to 33 per cent saying it was appropriate. Within those who say it was inappropriate, 40 per cent say it’s “very inappropriate.”

Leger says the results are consistent with how much the clause has been used and how it has been received in the past.

Over half say that how the strike was handled only worsened their opinion of Smith and the UCP government, and only a few report a more positive impression.

Two-thirds of respondents say they are aware of a potential general strike, and just over half would support it. Sixty per cent of respondents believe the province is entering a period of “greater labour unrest.”

Lastly, when it came to improving education in the province, 47 per cent of Albertans said reducing class sizes was their top priority, with the next being improving student supports at 13 per cent.

The poll comes as the ATA filed an interlocutory injunction Thursday, asking a judge to immediately pause Bill 2 until a full constitutional challenge is heard.

Smith says her UCP government had to take action, claiming the strike was having a toll on more than 740,000 students.

She responded in a press conference Friday to criticism that the government’s action represents an erosion of democracy, saying elected officials were doing their jobs and, if they got it wrong, they’ll “hear about it at the polls.”

The law was passed in one night and has been condemned as government overreach by labour groups, civil rights advocates, lawyer organizations, Amnesty International and the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton.

It has also reignited debate over how best to balance the rules of the Charter with the responsibility of governments to determine and act on what’s best for their citizens. Smith has argued that, in this case, the government’s responsibility is paramount.

ATA president Jason Schilling told reporters Friday in Edmonton that the union has a right to challenge the law in court, despite what the premier says.

With files from The Canadian Press