The Alberta government and the teachers’ union are back at the bargaining table with under three weeks to go before a possible provincewide strike.
Finance Minister Nate Horner’s office confirmed in a Friday statement that bargaining with the Alberta Teachers’ Association has resumed and the government is presenting its deal.
The union, in an update to its members Thursday, said the government’s deal will be a response to the union’s latest proposal tabled last week.
Union president Jason Schilling hasn’t said what the latest offer includes.
The return to bargaining comes a day after Alberta’s labour relations board announced the two sides had resolved a complaint launched by the government accusing the teachers of bad-faith bargaining.
The complaint revolved around a union communication document that claimed provincial negotiators didn’t have the power to negotiate non-wage issues, which the province says wasn’t true.
A consent order issued by the labour board says the parties have agreed the matter is over and the only outstanding bargaining issues are related to pay hikes and COVID-19 vaccines for teachers.
Horner, in a statement responding to the order, says he was pleased a resolution had been reached.
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“This consent order makes clear that none of the outstanding items under negotiation are about classroom complexity, class size or support for students,” he says.
“Alberta’s government has already addressed these concerns (through) our current offer which would add 3,000 more teachers to classrooms.”
The province’s offer also includes a 12 per cent pay hike over four years, but teachers rejected it back in May and voted nearly 95 per cent in favour of striking.
The union, which represents 51,000 teachers, has said teachers will hit picket lines on Oct. 6 if a deal isn’t reached, disrupting classes for more than 700,000 students across 2,500 schools.
Both sides have accused the other of failing students and are embarking on separate advertising campaigns.
The union has used billboards, TV and radio commercials, teacher testimonials on social media, and postcards and lawn signs to share its message.
Horner’s office has said the government is still determining which advertising mediums it plans to use, how much its campaign will cost and when it will start.
Premier Danielle Smith and Horner have said provincial coffers can’t afford a bigger pay hike for teachers and that teachers must choose between higher salaries or more staff to address classroom sizes.
Schilling has said an additional 3,000 teachers over three years won’t adequately fix overcrowding. He also has noted the province’s wage offer doesn’t make up for years of little to no salary adjustments and inflation.
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