{"id":202240,"date":"2025-10-10T08:39:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T08:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/202240\/"},"modified":"2025-10-10T08:39:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T08:39:15","slug":"striking-alberta-teachers-province-to-resume-bargaining-talks-after-thanksgiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/202240\/","title":{"rendered":"Striking Alberta teachers, province to resume bargaining talks after Thanksgiving"},"content":{"rendered":"

The union representing 51,000 striking Alberta teachers is set to resume negotiations with the provincial government\u2019s bargaining team after the long weekend.<\/p>\n

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The meeting would be the first since the provincewide strike began Monday, and the Alberta Teachers\u2019 Association<\/a>\u00a0 said it was spurred by the success of recent side talks.<\/p>\n

Union spokesperson Heather Grant said in an email that further formal discussions could take place if the meeting set for Tuesday is successful.<\/p>\n

Finance Minister Nate Horner\u2019s office confirmed the provincial bargaining committee received a draft proposal from the teacher\u2019s union Thursday, which his office said was \u201ccomplex.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c(The committee) is now reviewing the complex proposal and needs some time to evaluate its merits,\u201d Horner\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will bargain on Tuesday as proposed by the (union).\u201d<\/p>\n

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Grant didn\u2019t say what the union\u2019s new offer included.<\/p>\n

\u201cExchanging proposals is an aspect of bargaining,\u201d Grant said. \u201cBoth parties are meeting back at the table to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horner said earlier Thursday that he\u2019s pleased the union accepted the government\u2019s offer to get back to bargaining and that he hoped the union was coming with a proposal that \u201cis reasonable, fair, and adequately represents the terms that teachers want to see reflected in their deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are focused on a securing a deal that is fair to teachers, students and Alberta taxpayers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The union said a mediator was also set to take part in Tuesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2:15
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDay 3 of first teacher strike in Alberta since 2002 \u2014 has anything changed?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Teachers walked off the job Monday amid stalemated contract discussions.<\/p>\n

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The job action \u2014 considered the largest walkout in provincial history \u2014 stems from a dispute with Premier Danielle Smith\u2019s government over long-standing concerns, including wages, overcrowded classrooms and lacking supports for students with complex needs.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"For<\/p>\n

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For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s latest offer, overwhelmingly rejected in a vote by teachers, included a 12 per cent wage increase over four years and a commitment to hire 3,000 more teachers.<\/p>\n

The strike affects some 740,000 students across 2,500 schools.<\/p>\n

David Tait, president of the union\u2019s Foothills Local 16, received news of the return to bargaining during a rally in Okotoks, south of Calgary.<\/p>\n

Tait, who is not on the union\u2019s bargaining committee, said the onus of getting a deal done falls on the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government knows what we want,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen there\u2019s something in front of teachers, we\u2019ll vote on it and the membership will have its say and we\u2019ll move forward from there \u2026 hopefully in a positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlberta students keep themselves occupied as teachers\u2019 strike continues\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Christian Schell, who teaches in Brooks, was one of a few hundred people at the rally. He said teachers would much rather be in their classrooms.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe didn\u2019t become teachers to stand here and have to fight for those needs. But unfortunately, when some people aren\u2019t doing the right thing, we want to step in and do the right thing. So we\u2019re going to fight for our students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Karissa Newman, 12, was at the rally with her father, a teacher. She said the uncertainty of the strike has her worried.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of scary,\u201d she said. \u201cIt could last forever, it could last a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore on Canada
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\u201cI\u2019m missing all my friends and just, in general, the teachers and stuff. I miss my musical theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also Thursday, a lockout order from the province went into effect, stopping teachers from changing how they strike, taking options like rotating job action off the table.<\/p>\n

The lockout also means school boards have the option to start laying off other school staff, such as educational assistants and custodians, who have been working since the strike began.<\/p>\n

Jason Foster, a labour relations professor at Athabasca University, said the delay in issuing the lockout made him furrow his brow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe (government) had plenty of notice,\u201d he said. \u201cThey could have easily issued their lockout notice to align with the strike deadline, so I\u2019m not sure why they didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2:04
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlberta education support workers continue clocking in amid teachers\u2019 strike\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The Canadian Union of Provincial Employees, which represents educational assistants, and some school custodians and bus drivers, said it had already received some layoff notices.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the union, Lou Arab, said the notices affect about 40 bus drivers in High Prairie, along with about 230 staff with the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division in Lethbridge.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the Lethbridge school division said \u201cdue to the Thanksgiving holidays and staff availability\u201d it wouldn\u2019t be able to answer questions about the layoffs until next week.<\/p>\n

Bargaining association chair Scott McCormack said earlier this week that rotating strikes by educational assistants earlier this year created \u201ctremendous uncertainty,\u201d and the lockout makes sure that doesn\u2019t happen again.<\/p>\n

\u2014 With files from Aaron Sousa in Edmonton and Bill Graveland in Okotoks, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

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