Alberta teachers, province resume talks ahead of Monday strike

As the deadline for a province-wide teachers’ strike looms, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the provincial government have resumed what are being described as “exploratory conversations” in an effort to find common ground.

Despite the renewed dialogue, the strike is still scheduled to begin Monday.

ATA President Jason Schilling confirmed that even if a tentative agreement were reached over the weekend, the ratification process would delay any resolution.

“Even if we were to get a memorandum of agreement for a deal that could be hammered out on the weekend, we would still need to go through the ratification process with our members and that would take about a week, so the strike will still commence on Monday,” Schilling told CityNews.

At Calgary’s Robert Thirsk High School, the final school pickup day before the strike was marked by anxiety, particularly among Grade 12 students preparing for post-secondary education.

“It makes it hard to plan to go to university, diplomas, the whole future is really uncertain,” said Sofia Gamorson, a graduating student.

Her classmate Vienna Cote echoed the concern, noting the impact on students who rely heavily on school support.

“They may not do well in their diploma, which will definitely affect whether or not they would be able to go to university.”

Government announces additional support measures

In response to the impending disruption, the Alberta government announced a series of support initiatives Friday afternoon:

• The 10-credit annual limit on distance education will be temporarily lifted, allowing students to continue earning credits.
• Parents may enroll children in home education programs supervised by independent schools, with both families and schools eligible for up to 50% of the home education grant—up to $450 per child.
• For younger children, free entry to select provincial heritage sites and museums will be offered to those 18 and under.
• Alberta’s childcare subsidy will be increased to summer rates for October, up to $644 for children in grades 1 to 6 attending full-time out-of-school care, after five consecutive strike days.

They’re also offering parents $30 per day for each student 12 and under to help with child care costs and tutoring. The government said payments would be retroactive and cost between $15 million and $20 million per day.

Organizations across the province are stepping up to fill the childcare gap. Vanessa Hunt, Programs and Rentals Coordinator at Bearspaw Community Association, said demand for “teachers’ strike camps” has surged.

“We’ve put a plan in place to run our camps and open for registration a week at a time… We’re prepared to keep this going for as long as we need to.”

Beyond academics, extracurricular activities are also in jeopardy. Cote shared concerns about her boyfriend, a football team captain, who may miss the remainder of the season.

“That might affect whether or not he could get on to the teams he wants to try out for because he will have significantly less time to prepare for that.”

Most school boards, including those in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray and Lethbridge, have sent notices telling families that — barring an 11th-hour deal — classes would be paused beginning Monday