Over 51,000 teachers in Alberta, Canada are on their first-ever province-wide strike, demanding meaningful salary increases and better working conditions.
As the strike enters its third week, Premier Danielle Smith’s right-wing United Conservative Party (UCP) government is threatening back-to-work legislation — a move that could spark solidarity actions from other unions across the province.
According to the teachers’ union, stagnating wages are undermining recruitment and retention, and further exacerbating the challenges posed by swelling classrooms and increasingly complex student needs.
While the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) have been negotiating since early 2024, Premier Smith and her UCP government have refused to address teachers’ concerns. By September of this year, bargaining had reached an impasse and the union was gearing up for strike action.
The strike has erupted under the shadow of broader right-wing attacks on public education, including increased subsidies for private and charter schools and an overhaul of the curriculum — all while teachers report surging workloads and shrinking say in how their classrooms are run.
On the day before the strike began, thousands of supporters rallied in cities and towns across the province to show their support for teachers and public education, with 18,000 gathering at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton.
For teachers to emerge victorious, sustained public support will be key.
Teachers and the UCP government are at…
Auteur: Adam D. K. King
