Alberta government blasts teachers’ union for walking away from contract talks

The Alberta government says it is “deeply concerned and disappointed” after the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) abruptly broke off bargaining talks despite what officials describe as a generous offer that met the union’s demands.Treasury Board President Nate Horner and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) tabled a deal this week that included hiring 1,000 more teachers each year for three years at a total cost of $750 million. The government said the ATA itself had requested that number of new hires earlier this summer.In addition to new staff, the proposal offered a 12% salary increase over four years, plus additional boosts that would raise pay for 95% of members, with newer teachers seeing the largest gains to address recruitment and retention issues..But on Wednesday, the ATA bargaining team rejected the offer and countered that fewer teacher hires would free up money for even higher salary increases."Unfortunately, it's becoming increasingly clear that the Alberta Teachers Association union leadership is only interested in playing politics with our kids," Demetrios stated."The union's campaign and rhetoric have intentionally misled the public and caused unnecessary stress for families and students," he added. “The union’s strategy and tactics have been exposed and called out,” Horner and Nicolaides said in a joint statement..“We cannot sit idle while the public, parents, and students are manipulated into supporting a union that has shown its primary interest is in diverting support away from the classroom to further drive up teacher compensation.”The government maintains that adding 3,000 teachers over three years would significantly ease classroom pressures and improve education outcomes, but said the union appears more interested in padding paycheques than improving conditions for students.The ATA hasn't commented.When both ministers were asked if the ATA would proceed with a strike, Demetrios said the ATA has "not made any indication that they'll be proceeding with a strike.".Horner added, "they have to provide 72 hours notice. "That's all I can say, definitively." Meanwhile, Demetrios was also asked about the list of Edmonton Public School books that were banned.The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) released a list of books late this month that will be banned from their libraries. The list includes books like Gender Queer and Two Boys Kissing, deemed sexually explicit. .It was also announced by the UCP these books must be removed from libraries come October 1, 2025."I'll be having some more conversations with Edmonton Public Schools," Demetrios said."Again, our primary interest with the ministerial order is to ensure that the books containing graphic depiction of sexual acts are provided to children in an age appropriate way."

Alberta government blasts teachers’ union for walking away from contract talks

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