The ongoing teachers’ strike has clarified a simple truth in Alberta politics, which is that the Alberta NDP exists primarily to serve government unions, even when 750,000 students are locked out of their classrooms.As the strike drags into its third week, the AB NDP’s automatic alignment with the Alberta Teachers’ Association reveals whose interests the party truly represents. It is not the parents scrambling for childcare. It is not the students staring at an uncertain academic future. It is the union bosses..KEENEY: The hollow virtues of the progressive Left.AB NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has condemned the common-sense move to end the disruption, calling back-to-work legislation “an attack on teachers, on public education, on all workers and their unions.” "Alberta’s New Democrats stand with teachers and unequivocally condemn this attack on public education, on workers and their unions, and democracy itself," tweeted Nenshi..This reaction is predictable. For the NDP, the needs of the union always come first.The NDP’s Education Critic Janis Irwin and other NDP MLAs have been active at rallies, echoing union talking points. .Their solidarity is not with the Grade 12 student who has missed crucial deadlines for university applications. Their solidarity is not with the special-needs student who has lost vital support. Their solidarity is with the union, plain and simple..BERNARDO: Disarming good people does not make bad people harmless — It makes good people helpless.This reflex to side with organized labour is embedded in the NDP’s DNA. The party was founded through a merger with the Canadian Labour Congress. Its historical base has been the union movement. .Now, as that base shows signs of fraying nationally, with some union workers shifting their support to other parties, the AB NDP is clinging ever more tightly to its most reliable ally — the government union sector.The NDP’s argument is that this strike is about improving classroom conditions. But their solution is to prolong a strike that hurts the very children they claim to champion..RUBENSTEIN: Anti-Semitic bigotry is now 'fashionable' in Canada.Teachers themselves admit that a legislated return to school would see them return “very demoralized.”An education professor from the University of Calgary warns that the learning environment will be more difficult and that stressed teachers are less able to support students. The NDP’s strategy ensures that even when the classrooms reopen, the problems will be worse..The party seems unconcerned with the real-world collateral damage. They overlook the teachers who are facing such financial hardship that community groups have set up support booths to provide them with groceries and essentials. They are untroubled by the research showing that students do not simply pick up academically where they left off after a long disruption. For the NDP, these are acceptable costs in the broader fight for union interests..GOLDBERG: The Liberals want an election — but they won’t get one .The United Conservative government is taking the responsible path. Premier Danielle Smith has correctly identified the ongoing strike as an “intolerable hardship” for families. Using the tools of government to end a damaging dispute that harms the public interest is a legitimate and necessary function of leadership. It is what Albertans elected the UCP to do..The NDP’s vision for Alberta is one where government unions hold veto power over public services. It is a vision where the education of our children is a secondary concern to the demands of union contracts.It is time for a balanced approach. The government must be able to act as a steward for all Albertans — students, parents, and taxpayers alike — not just the privileged few who carry a union card. .OLDCORN: Ding dong the witch is dead, Gondek’s exit gives Calgary hope.The NDP’s position as the government union party is now undeniable. Albertans must decide if that is a party that can ever truly put the public interest first.
