Teachers to vote on tentative agreement with Alberta government

Alberta teachers will vote on the tentative agreement reached by the union and the province ahead of the planned October strike date.

The Alberta government and the teachers’ union have reached a tentative agreement as next month’s strike deadline neared.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the finance minister said Wednesday morning the two parties reached a Memorandum of Agreement.

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“Last Friday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association made an offer to the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA),” Minister Nate Horner said. “Both parties have agreed to form a tentative agreement based on shared priorities and members will vote on the tentative agreement in the coming days.”

The tentative agreement will be presented to teachers who will vote online from Saturday to Monday, said the ATA.

“Teachers do not take the decision before them lightly,” said ATA president Jason Schilling. “They recognize what is on the line with this vote and remain committed to an outcome that prioritizes the future of our public education system.”

Jason Foster, a professor of human resources and labour relations at Athabasca University said it’s hard to say how teachers will vote.

“I think a lot will depend on what is in the deal, and it’s going to probably have to look significantly better than the one they rejected back in May,” Foster told CTV News Edmonton.

There haven’t been any details released on the tentative agreement, and the province and union have declined to comment further on what’s included.

“Teachers were looking for something specific around class size and complexity and resources in the classroom,” said Foster. “I don’t think there’s going to be that kind of language in this deal.”

He said there might be a “slight sweetener” on salary and perhaps free COVID-19 vaccines.

While the province and ATA aren’t speaking publicly about the tentative agreement, Foster said it could actually be a good sign that they’re serious about the deal.

“What I always notice — and it’s not just in this dispute, but in all disputes — is that I know parties are getting serious about a deal when they stop talking to us and start talking to each other,” he said. “They’ve gone extraordinarily quiet since late last week.”

A statement from the ATA said the tentative agreement addresses salary and classroom complexity issues, which include a commitment to hire an additional 3,000 teachers over the next three years.

The agreement comes about two weeks before teachers were slated to strike if an agreement was not reached. The ATA said if teachers do not accept the deal, they will resume plans to strike on Oct. 6.

With uncertainty still, Foster says it’s wise for parents to keep their contingency plans.

The YMCA of Northern Alberta said it is still planning to offer full-day child care at all YMCA Out of School Care sites.

Limited day camp programs at health, fitness and aquatic facilities will also be offered in Edmonton.

“So far, 1,564 children from our regular programs signed up to attend,” said a statement from child care vice-president Annalise Yuzda. “The YMCA is doing everything we can to rearrange our operations to support families if a strike goes forward.

With files forms CTV News Edmonton’s Nahreman Issa

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