Among ongoing contract negotiations, the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) has officially applied for a lockout vote.
TEBA applied for the vote in response to the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) voting in favour of a strike earlier this year. The TEBA hopes that they will not need to utilize a lockout, according to an office of Treasury Board and Finance statement, and will only do so if it appears that strike tactics could harm Alberta’s students and families.
“I remain confident that the parties will continue working with each other through the bargaining process to reach a fair and reasonable settlement for teachers,” the statement read.
Conversations between the ATA and TEBA are still ongoing, with formal mediation resuming Aug. 26-29.
When asked, the ATA said that applying for a lockout vote was always possible and within the TEBA’s potential courses of action.
CBE remains confident school year will start on time.
As of August 15, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) is planning for the Sept. 2 start date to remain.
In a CBE-issued statement, the board recognized that the uncertainty of potential labour action may be challenging for families and that bargaining is largely out of the school board’s jurisdiction.
“Bargaining between TEBA and the ATA occurs centrally at the provincial level. This means that items like teacher salaries are set through the provincial collective agreement, not through individual school boards,” the statement read.
“We hope that TEBA and ATA are able to conclude the bargaining process as soon as possible so that a new collective agreement can be reached.”
The board remains committed to keeping families informed, with any new information shared on their labour action page.
For now, the ATA has 54 days to initiate a strike, needing to provide 72 hours’ notice before doing so.
