When unhappy teachers decide to strike

No apples are being handed out in Alberta classrooms this week. Instead, tension is on the menu as 51 000 teachers decide whether to accept a government deal or strike on October 6.

On Monday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association opened the votes on a four-year contract proposal. The contract includes a 12% salary increase on four years, the hiring of 3 000 new teachers and 1 500 educational assistants by 2028, and even COVID-19 vaccine coverage. While Alberta’s government calls it a “fair compromise,” many teachers argue the offer still doesn’t address class sizes or burnout. “The proposed agreement failed to meet the needs of teachers, failed to improve student classroom conditions in a concrete and meaningful way, and failed to show teachers the respect they deserve,” said ATA president Jason Schilling.

This could be the first province-wide teachers’ strike in decades. While there was a large teacher strike in 2002, it did not include all Alberta teachers. If teachers are absent from schools on October 6, it will be the first province-wide teacher strike in history, affecting more than 700 000 students.

The voting results will be announced early October. Until then, Alberta families are being prompted to check school board updates, because the bell might not ring next Monday.

---

Sources

Sandy and Nora Talk Politics. « AB teachers vote on contract, US says Israel and Gaza have agreed to ceasefire, Moldova elects pro-EU president », The Daily News, September 30, 2025, https://shows.acast.com/the-daily-news/episodes/ab-teachers-vote-on-contract-us-says-israel-and-gaza-have-ag

NEWBIGGING, Liam and FRENCH, Janet, « Alberta teacher strike likely as union members vote down tentative agreement »,  CBC News, September 29 2025, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-teachers-vote-new-offer-strike-1.7646216

« Teacher strike imminent », The Alberta Teachers’ Association, September 29 2025, https://teachers.ab.ca/news/teacher-strike-imminent