With a strike authorization vote of 99 per cent, Alberta teachers are signalling to the government that they can no longer hold up our crumbling public education system.
“Teachers are standing united in demanding respect and recognition for the challenges they experience in today’s classrooms. Settling for anything less than tangible solutions will not be tolerated.”
—ATA president Jason Schilling
Crowded and increasingly complex classrooms, coupled with the absence of wage increases that reflect these realities and ensure that future teachers will choose the profession as a lifelong career, remain a point of contention for Alberta teachers.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Provincial Executive Council will now determine the next steps, including the possibility of a strike vote, if an acceptable resolution is not reached with the province’s school boards beforehand.
Nearly 38,000 teachers cast online ballots between May 22 and 26.
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.