Edmonton Public Teachers Local No 37 have averted strike action and voted in favour of the most recent employment offer by their employer. Sunday afternoon, over 1600 members of the local braved -37 C temperatures to meet in person at the Edmonton Expo Centre to discuss the proposal.
“We’re very pleased to find a solution that settles many key issues for teachers, including calendar development, off-schedule compensation, substitute teacher professional development and the working conditions of online teachers. I’m proud of our members for taking the principled and courageous stand in support of their colleagues which resulted in this achievement.”
—Heather Quinn, Edmonton Public Teachers Local 37 president
In mid-December, the local overwhelmingly voted down a mediated memorandum of agreement, prompting the local to set a strike vote date in early 2024.
“A strike is always a last resort, but teachers felt they had no other options available. The resolve of teachers to send a clear message to the board was needed to pressure the board to listen to teachers’ concerns.”
—Heather Quinn, Edmonton Public Teachers Local 37 president
Sunday’s vote saw a vote of 95.6 per cent in favour of the offer. The Edmonton Public School Division will be holding their vote to ratify the agreement on January 23.
Collective bargaining for teachers in Alberta is a two-phase process where matters of significant cost and broad impact are negotiated at a central table, followed by local negotiations between individual school divisions and ATA bargaining units on more locally specific matters. Teachers in Edmonton Public have been working without a finalized collective agreement since September 2020.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association is the professional association of teachers in Alberta and acts as the bargaining agent for all teachers employed in public, separate and francophone school divisions. The Edmonton School Division employs approximately 7,000 contracted and substitute teachers in public schools in Edmonton.
For more information, or to arrange an interview with Heather Quinn, contact the Edmonton Public Teachers Local at 780-455-2164.