Many teachers in Alberta are dissatisfied with the latest contract proposal from their employers and union, indicating a potential strike. Melissa Harmsma, an Edmonton teacher, expressed her disappointment with the offer, particularly the suggested 12% wage increase over four years, which she finds inadequate. Despite previous rejection of the same offer in May by public, Catholic, and francophone school teachers, the proposal has resurfaced.
Harmsma highlighted that while the consumer price index in Alberta has surged by almost 21% in the past six years, teacher salaries have only seen a 3.8% increase. This disparity, she argued, fails to restore teachers’ purchasing power to previous levels, let alone adjust for future inflation.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), not officially backing the offer, is presenting it to teachers for consideration. A significant component of the new proposal is the government’s commitment to fund 1,000 net new teachers for the next three school years. The ATA disclosed that this initiative would cost the provincial government $750 million over three years, surpassing a previous classroom complexity fund that teachers rejected, valued at $405 million.
The ATA’s fact sheet also outlined the rejection by the government of class-size caps and a defined pupil-teacher ratio, aggravating the educators’ dissatisfaction. Additionally, the offer includes a pledge to finance 1,500 extra educational assistant positions by August 2028.
Teachers like Stephen Merredew, a junior high teacher in Red Deer, criticized the provincial school funding formula for escalating class sizes due to inadequate adjustments for enrollment growth and delayed school construction. Merredew anticipated that new teachers might primarily benefit schools in Edmonton and Calgary, neglecting rural or smaller urban areas.
The proposed contract, emphasizing classroom investment, received mixed reactions, with some educators, including Peter MacKay, expressing discontent. MacKay mentioned that chronic underfunding in education, stagnant pay levels, and government policies have created a sense of rage among teachers. The potential strike, scheduled for October 6 if an agreement is not reached, could have significant implications for labor relations and educational stability in Alberta.