Without fair wages and improved conditions for teachers and students, Alberta risks driving away its most valuable educational resource: its teachers.
Talks have broken down between the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA). Teachers have been firm and unequivocal in saying that the government’s latest offer does not recognize the important work teachers do in our public education system, especially when teachers have been disrespected and undervalued for years.
It’s getting harder to keep teachers in the profession and to attract new people to an increasingly challenging job. Teacher pay has fallen far behind inflation and cost of living. Over the last decade, teacher wages have increased by a total of just 5.75 per cent. With fair wages, we can hire more teachers — and keep the ones we have — but we need the provincial government to step up.
“The government needs to do the right thing and pay teachers fairly for the work they do with the children who will be responsible for Alberta’s future.”
—ATA president Jason Schilling
Teachers are not just seeking fair compensation, they’re seeking alignment between words and actions. If the government believes teachers are vital, as the premier recently stated, it’s time to reflect that in all aspects of teachers’ jobs.
The government offered teachers a deal that included the hiring of 1,000 new teachers per year, over the next three years. This was a positive move forward but addressed only part of the proposal that the ATA tabled in June. More still needs to be done to attract and retain teachers to fill these added positions.
“Teachers are the pillars of our public education system. It’s time for the government to step up with a fair deal for teachers, because a fair deal for teachers is a good deal for kids.”
—ATA president Jason Schilling
The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, supports teachers’ professional practice and serves as the advocate for its 51,000 members.