Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling held a media availability on August 29 for a bargaining update and to answer questions regarding the subject.
Talks have broken down between ATA and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA).
For two days this week, a settlement was not achieved, and the parties have reached an impasse," Schilling said in the bargaining update press conference earlier this morning.
The provincial government did not provide TEBA the mandate required for movement on proposed salary.
Instead they offered the same wage increase that was in the original mediator's recommended terms of settlement that was already turned down by teachers in the spring, he stated.
According to Schilling, teachers have only received a 5.7 per cent increase in the last decade.
That said, a fair wage is not just about money in Schilling's opinion.
"It is about showing respect for the value teachers bring to Alberta's education system," he said.
"The government needs to do the right thing and pay teachers fairly for the work they do with the children who will be responsible for Alberta’s future," he added.
The government offered teachers a deal that included the hiring of 1,000 new teachers per year, over the next three years.
This was a positive move forward but addressed only part of the proposal that the ATA tabled in June. More still needs to be done to attract and retain teachers to fill these added positions.
"3,000 additional teachers is a drop in the bucket and should have already been planned for by government to address population growth," Schilling said.
Schilling emphasized on the emotional labour that teachers will now see added to their plates this fall.
"Teachers are now responsible for sorting not only library books, but also the books that they have accumulated in their own classrooms, often paid for with their own money," he shared.
Additionally, teachers will now be managing opt-in permission forms for sensitive content, and navigating new protocols around gender identity, which has caused anxiety among the membership, Schilling added.
Teachers have been firm and unequivocal in saying that the government’s latest offer does not recognize the important work teachers do in our public education system, especially when teachers have been disrespected and undervalued for years.
According to the ATA, teachers are not just seeking fair compensation, they’re seeking alignment between words and actions. If the government believes teachers are vital, as the premier recently stated, it’s time to reflect that in all aspects of teachers’ jobs.
"This proposal was a last stitch of attempt effort by the ATA to somehow add teachers to an already strained education system," Schilling said.
Ideally, Schilling hopes to see a negotiated settlement that doesn't involve any kind of job action.
Should ATA choose to use their strike mandate, they would have to provide a 72-hours notice.
The press release, it’s getting harder to keep teachers in the profession and to attract new people to an increasingly challenging job.
Teacher pay has fallen far behind inflation and cost of living. Over the last decade, teacher wages have increased by a total of just 5.75 per cent.
ATA says, with fair wages, we can hire more teachers — and keep the ones we have — but we need the provincial government to step up.
"Teachers are the pillars of our public education system. It’s time for the government to step up with a fair deal for teachers, because a fair deal for teachers is a good deal for kids," Schilling says.
