Hundreds of local educators pose for a photo in front of city hall during a March for Education on Wednesday as talks between the teachers union and province broke down earlier this week.--HANDOUT PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
More than 300 local educators, parents and supporters took to the streets Wednesday to participate in the March for Education, highlighting their demands, wearing red shirts and holding signs in front of Premier Danielle Smith’s constituency office, standing up for public education.
The March for Education kicked off at the Medicine Hat Arena as teachers marched in solidarity up Altawana Drive toward Smith’s constituency office, then proceeded back toward city hall before concluding at the Arena.
“The most heartwarming part about it, is when a lot of folks are walking through intersections or up the hill, a lot of folks were honking their horns, so you could feel the public support,” said Michael Jerred, president of ATA Local No. 1 in Medicine Hat.
Teachers taped several dozen letters and postcards on Smith’s office, which highlighted stories of compassion and commitment delivered by Alberta teachers as the labour dispute continues between the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the province.
“She doesn’t have a mailbox, so we did have to tape our letters to the door, that was a good exercise as well,” said Jerred. “And again, at that intersection, lots of public support while we were up there.”
Jerred says teachers need that support right now as negotiations continue to stall with the province after Alberta’s finance minister Wednesday said there’s still a major divide between both sides.
This statement came after a new contract proposal from the ATA was shot down during a bargaining meeting Tuesday, the first time the two sides met since teachers first walked off the job on Oct. 6.
Jerred said local teachers were hopeful a deal would have been reached during the Tuesday negotiations and were preparing to return to the classroom.
However, those negotiations between both sides failed with no future meeting scheduled.
“It was actually quite disappointing to hear we weren’t even going to really talk at the negotiating table,” said Jerred, who predicts losing another week of classes due to failed negotiations, but is hopeful both parties came reach an agreement before Oct. 27, when the legislature convenes and brings the possibility of back-to-work legislation.
However, there’s concern about the government’s negotiation tactics.
“Now, we expect the government to respond reasonably, in good faith, and not through the media but at the bargaining table where these discussions belong,” said ATA President Jason Schilling.
“A negotiated settlement would be, I think, the best for all parties,” said Jerred. “We’re still hopeful, but a bit of a chink in the armour when the negotiation talks stopped so abruptly on Tuesday.”
While job action continues, local teachers are planning more public demonstrations next week and details and dates are still to be determined.
The province-wide strike, affecting about 750,000 students across 2,500 schools, enters its ninth day today.
