Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced that back-to-work legislation for teachers will be introduced on Monday.
Bill 2, the “Back to School Act,” will be the first item debated as the legislature resumes its fall session.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) acknowledges the forthcoming legislation but states that its full implications remain unclear.
Finance Minister Nate Horner emphasized the government’s goal to have teachers and students return to classrooms as early as Monday.
This development follows a nearly three-week-long teachers’ strike, initiated on October 6, after contract negotiations stalled over issues like class complexity and wages.
In response to the legislation, thousands of teachers have gathered outside the legislature, many carrying potatoes—a nod to Premier Smith’s recent comment that “there’s more than one way to peel a potato.”
Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the bill, calling it “the biggest abuse of democratic rights in Alberta’s history.”
Keith Hopper, Trending 55
