Thousands of individuals, many carrying flags or placards, congregated at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton on Sunday morning to show support for public education, amidst a looming teachers’ strike. The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the provincial government have been at a standstill for over a month while negotiating a new collective agreement. Key issues include salaries, increasing class sizes, and the need to hire more staff to address classroom challenges. The previous contract lapsed in August 2024.
Heather Quinn, president of ATA Local 37 representing Edmonton public-school teachers, emphasized the importance of public education as the cornerstone of a robust democratic society during her address on the Legislature’s steps. She urged all Albertans to actively advocate for the future of public education to ensure equitable educational opportunities for current and future generations.
The rally took place a day before Alberta’s 51,000 teachers are scheduled to strike. Should an agreement not be reached in time, Monday will mark Alberta’s first-ever provincewide teachers’ strike. The last teacher strike in Alberta occurred in 2002 when over 20,000 teachers from 22 school divisions went on strike until then-Premier Ralph Klein intervened and ordered them back to work.
Premier Danielle Smith, speaking on her bi-weekly radio program on Saturday, expressed concerns about the potential strike, calling it a detrimental situation for teachers, parents, and students. The government had urged the union to cancel the strike and return to negotiations over the weekend. However, formal talks did not materialize as the union leadership was unavailable. Finance Minister Nate Horner’s office stated that their priority is to keep students in classrooms and they are prepared to resume negotiations once the ATA is ready to engage.