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Talks breakdown between Alberta teachers and province as strike looms next week

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the Alberta Teachers' Association is to blame and that the union is "playing politics" with children.
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New Minister of Education and Childcare, Demetrios Nicolaides, swears the oath of office in Calgary, Alta., Friday, May 16, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

EDMONTON — Contract talks have stalled between Alberta teachers and the provincial government just days before most students are set to return to the classroom.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the Alberta Teachers' Association is to blame and that the union is "playing politics" with children.

He says the province's latest offer matches what the union has asked for and he's baffled over why the deal has been turned down.

ATA president Jason Schilling is scheduled to speak later this morning.

Schilling has said pay, classroom conditions, crowding and resources for students are all issues at play.

The union has to give 72 hours' notice before its roughly 51,000 members can go on strike across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2025.

Lisa Johnson and Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press

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