Council sets stage for list bargaining

Highlights of the emergent Provincial Executive Council meeting held Nov. 17, 2023, Fantasyland Hotel, Edmonton.

1. Authorized up to three members of Council and one member of staff to attend the 2024 Alberta Federation of Labour/Canadian Labour Congress Winter Labour School, taking place Jan. 7 to 12 in Jasper.
2. Determined that the bargaining unit for the teachers at Rocky View School Division has met the objectives of bargaining in good faith, has demonstrated the support of its members, and is within the objects recommended by Association policy and guidelines.

Highlights of the Provincial Executive Council meeting held Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2023, Barnett House, Edmonton.

1. Adopted the following interim policy on the potential Alberta Pension Plan, to be referred to the 2024 Annual Representative Assembly for confirmation:

• Pension assets are the property of and are to be managed exclusively for the benefit of active plan contributors and beneficiaries.
• Contributors to the Canada Pension Plan who reside, are working or have worked in Alberta should be afforded the opportunity to determine individually whether to transfer their accrued entitlement to an Alberta Pension Plan or allow it to remain with the Canada Pension Plan.
• The Association supports the collective and individual right of Albertans to remain as full participants in and beneficiaries of the Canada Pension Plan.

2. Adopted the following interim policy on the censoring of learning materials in libraries and classrooms, to be referred to the 2024 Annual Representative Assembly for confirmation:

• The Association affirms teacher professional judgment and autonomy in the selection of learning resources and management of classroom and library collections in support of students’ freedom to engage with media and material that depicts and respects the dignity and diverse lived experiences of all persons.
• The Association urges school authorities, in collaboration with teachers, to develop local policy to guide teachers and school leaders in responding to book and resource challenges in a manner that defends teacher professionalism and judgment and affirms students’ freedom to read and experience a variety of media that represents and respects the dignity and diverse lived experiences of all persons. 
• The Association urges the Government of Alberta to amend the Guide to Education to include in its Controversial Issues statement an affirmation of the right of students to read and otherwise engage with diverse and potentially controversial material in an appropriate, safe and supportive learning environment.

3. Approved the name of the recipient to receive the Public Education Award at the 2024 Annual Representative Assembly.
4. Referred 21 recommendations developed by the Status of Racialized Teachers Subcommittee to the Table Officers Committee to create a strategy and provide direction to Provincial Executive Council by its April 2024 meeting.
5. Approved the proposed List of Central and Local Matters as the Association’s initial proposal for list bargaining.
6. Approved a revised Member Organizing Communications Framework.
7. Authorized that, for the 2023/24 school year, the political engagement grant be repurposed to support the work of locals in hosting in-school organizing meetings.
8. Approved an overexpenditure of $40,000 to the political engagement budget line for the purposes of offering member organizing grants to locals in the 2023/24 budget year.
9. Amended the Association’s Gold Medals in Education program by replacing the solid gold medals with gold-plated medals, adding a $2,000 award to each recipient, and expanding the program to include every degree-granting teacher education program in the province that has either a long-standing relationship or a signed memorandum of understanding with the Association.
10. Authorized staff to explore with degree-granting teacher education institutions opportunities to increase the profile of the Gold Medals in Education awards program and its recipients.
11. Confirmed the position of the Association that it supports the participation in the Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan of only those Alberta school authorities employing active members and associate members for whom the Association is recognized as the bargaining agent.
12. Received a Notice of Appeal in the matter of a decision made by a hearing committee of the Professional Conduct Committee.
13. Approved the names of field members to serve on Association committees. ❚