A few weeks ago, I heard Robyne Hanley-Dafoe speak in Camrose. She reminded us that every person carries their own perspective and that leadership is the work of honouring as many of those perspectives as possible. That message landed with me, particularly because we all just lived through a moment when thousands of perspectives, experiences and emotions converged into a single historic movement.
What we accomplished over the past months has no precedent in Alberta’s history. Never before have all teachers and school leaders been on strike together. This was the largest job action our province has ever seen and each of you made it possible. We stood strong, proud and united. And Alberta will never forget it. Parents, students, businesses and communities heard us. Support for teachers didn’t fall after the strike—it grew, here and across Canada. I’ve heard from our colleagues nationwide that Alberta teachers changed the national conversation on classroom complexity. You did that.
And, yes, how the strike ended has created deep and valid emotions. Pride and frustration can exist together. I felt them too. We cannot avoid or minimize those feelings, but we also don’t need to rush through them. Working through these complex emotions and difficult conversations by really listening to one another is how we gain new perspectives. Doing this work will only make us stronger.
Even when we disagree, we remain united by something larger: our commitment to public education. Learning from each other and creating space to understand one another helps us continue the work ahead. And we need to continue, because we are facing a government that is less collaborative, more unpredictable and more willing to legislate than to listen. To respond effectively, we must all be moving in the same direction.
The strike didn’t end our work; it transformed it. Our post-strike strategy builds on the power and public support you created and turns it into long-term gains. Our goals are clear: protect teachers, strengthen advocacy and defend public education. This includes action on class size and complexity, a legal challenge to Bill 2, deeper partnerships with civil society and labour, strong support for public education initiatives, vigorous contract enforcement, renewed political engagement and revitalized public advocacy. The strike may have ended, but the fight is not over—and it is certainly not lost.
As we head into the holidays and look forward to a new year, I hope you find rest, joy and a well-earned break. Rest is not about stepping back from the work; it is how we sustain it. Take care of yourselves this season. You deserve it.
ATA President
