Alberta’s teachers have overwhelmingly rejected the province’s most recent contract proposal, paving the way for a province‑wide strike expected to begin Monday, October 6.
In a vote held September 27-29, nearly 42,600 teachers cast ballots, and 38,113 (89.5%) voted against the tentative agreement, while 4,479 (10.5%) accepted it.
Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), said the proposed contract failed to meet the needs of teachers, improve student classroom conditions in a concrete and meaningful way, and show the respect teachers deserve.
What Was in the Proposal
The contract offer that was rejected included:
- 12% pay increase over four years
- Hiring 3,000 additional teachers to reduce class sizes
- Coverage of COVID‑19 vaccine costs
Despite these elements, the ATA said many of the concrete issues faced in classrooms were left unaddressed.
Next Move
In response to the vote, Premier Danielle Smith, Finance Minister Nate Horner, and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides are scheduled to hold a news conference at noon on Tuesday to discuss supports available in the event of a teachers strike.
(Results table from the Alberta Teachers’ Association website)
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