Back to School?
Teachers have Strike Mandate, Employer Lockout Vote to be held on August 29
As summer winds down and back to school shopping is in full swing, parents and teachers are wondering if classes will begin and if they do, for how long.
Alberta teachers are set to strike. Members of the ATA (Alberta Teachers Association) held a strike vote from June 5-8 this year, it passed by 94.5%. Meanwhile, the TEBA (Teachers Employers Bargaining Association) has applied for a lockout vote which will take place on August 29. Strike/lockout votes are valid for 120 days Both parties must give 72 hours notice off strike or lockout.
Teachers have been working without a contract since the expiration of the previous one on August 31 2024.
Here's how it all works
Graphic Courtesy of the ATA
Bargaining starts If not successful, it goes to mediation.
Mediation The recommendations of the mediation can be accepted or rejected. The ATA rejected the mediation recommendations.
Because there was no agreement, bargaining resumes in what is called a write out. It is literally writing out the terms and conditions of a collective agreement. If ratified by both parties, it forms the contract.
Write out During the write out process is where strike and lockout votes can happen.
Central Bargaining If the ATA and TEBA cannot agree on which issues are central and which are local, it shall be sent to binding arbitration as per the Public Education Collective Bargaining Act.
Local Bargaining Once a provincial agreement is signed for the central issues, then local bargaining begins to deal with local issues.
Here's the division of issues during the last bargaining for the previous contract.
The items from the provincial memorandum of agreement merge with the local agreement to form a completed collective agreement.
More to come
