Alberta teachers launch historic strike with few clear demands

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling concluded a Monday press conference without providing specific numbers on what would end the provincewide teachers’ strike.

Source: Facebook

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling concluded a Monday press conference without providing specific numbers on what would end the provincewide teachers’ strike. Instead, he repeated broad themes of “chronic underfunding,” “complex classrooms” and “fair pay.”

“This strike is not just about wages,” said Schilling. “This strike is about the state of public education in Alberta. The government says they don’t know what teachers want. Well, yesterday, tens of thousands of Albertans across this province shared once again what teachers want — teacher-student ratios, support for complex classrooms and fair pay.”

Schilling called the walkout “the largest labour disruption in Alberta history,” with 51,000 teachers on strike.

His remarks follow the teachers overwhelmingly rejecting two settlements from the provincial government, after one was recommended by a mediator, and another was negotiated and agreed upon by the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association and Alberta Teachers’ Association.

The deal included hiring 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 educational assistants over three years, plus a 12 per cent salary increase, with more than 95 per cent of teachers seeing a raise of up to 17 per cent. Premier Danielle Smith explained that by 2027, a top-category teacher would earn $114,800. Nearly 9 in 10 teachers (89.5 per cent) voted against the deal.

Schilling said teachers acted to “break the cycle” of what he called underfunding and a lack of long-term planning.

“For years, we’ve had to reach into our own pockets and wallets to give students what the system wouldn’t, and still teachers show up,” he said. “But today, enough is enough.”

Despite weeks of negotiations, Schilling offered no details on the ATA’s latest proposal to the province or what monetary figure could resolve the impasse.

When asked how long the strike might last, Schilling was tight-lipped. He said exploratory talks between the ATA and the province would continue this week, but offered no clear timeline or terms.

The Alberta government announced further support for families and students on Friday.

Schilling criticized the province’s recently introduced family support programs, including $150 weekly payments to parents and a free education toolkit, arguing the government should “invest that funding into schools.” He also claimed the toolkit contained “American-based curriculum,” though he was unable to provide a single example when pressed.

Schilling also attacked the government’s home education option, which provides up to $450 per student to parents who withdraw their children from public schools during the strike.

“It makes me question the seriousness of this process and negotiations if we’re willing to do what government has indicated there,” he said. “Is this a way to further undermine and erode public education in the province?”

He said private schools could set class size caps and spend tens of thousands of dollars more per student than public schools. According to Schilling, public education saw a 4.5 per cent funding increase, while private schools saw a 13.5 per cent increase in Budget 2025.

When asked whether the lack of strike pay could force teachers to return to work, Schilling acknowledged the financial strain but said it was a risk they had accepted.

Despite collecting millions in union dues, Schilling confirmed teachers would not be receiving strike pay. He said teachers were aware of this when they voted, but added that the ATA would be paying health benefits throughout the strike.

An X post surfaced on Saturday, showing that the Alberta Teachers Association was at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa, which charges hundreds of dollars for massages, hydrotherapy, and more.