LAKELAND - As the start of a new school year approaches, Alberta is expected to return to the bargaining table with the Alberta Teacher’s Association (ATA) on Aug. 26.
According to Heather Grant, a spokesperson for the ATA, “reaching a negotiated settlement without taking job action remains our goal.”
Teachers and the province were last at the bargaining table in June, following the rejection of the mediator’s recommendations last spring and a vote overwhelmingly in favour of a strike in May.
“Our sticking points are what teachers have been dealing with for years: large class sizes, increasing classroom complexity, dwindling supports, and wages that do not account for these challenges or keep pace with inflation,” said Grant.
The office of Alberta’s Treasury Board and Finance did not respond to an e-mail asking for an update. In June, the last offer from the province included a 12 per cent general wage increase over four years, a new common pay grid for all teachers in the province, a 20 per cent increase for substitute teachers, and improvements to benefits.
Students in Lakeland Catholic School Division will return to the classroom on Aug. 28. The first day of classes for St. Paul Education and Northern Lights Public Schools is Sept. 2.
