Teachers to strike Oct. 6 if deal not done

By BRENDAN MILLER on September 11, 2025.

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com

Teachers in Alberta are set to hit the picket lines Oct. 6 if a deal between the Alberta Teachers Association and the Teachers Employer Bargaining Association cannot be reached.

However, the two sides are expected to return to the bargaining table before any strike action takes place.

The strike action lead-up comes after a summer of failed wage negotiations between both sides on a new collective agreement and a vote for strike action held by teachers in June that indicated 36,862 members, or 94.5 percent, in favour of strike.

Oct. 6 falls a day before the union’s 120-day strike vote lawfully holds up.

During a press conference Tuesday morning ATA president Jason Schilling announced the union representing 51,000 teachers in Alberta, will be on strike Oct. 6 if a deal is not reached.

“Let me be clear,” Shilling addressed. “Oct. 6 is coming quickly. The choice is theirs; solve this dispute now or face a provincewide teachers strike.”

The union says it is seeking fair wages and improved conditions for teachers and students. The ATA says teacher pay has fallen far behind inflation and the rising cost of living, with only one wage increase over the past 10 years.

“The province must step up with a fair deal that shows a real commitment to teachers and public education. We are ready to meet at the table and have invited TEBA to join us,” reads a press release from ATA.

Before the school year began, at the end of August, the association broke off negotiations with TEBA after rejecting an offer that included a 12 per cent wage increase and a promise to hire 1,000 new teachers per year for three years.

The ATA has said 3,000 new teachers won’t address pressing needs across the province.

“What teachers want is simple,” said Shilling. “Classrooms that are properly funded and wages that reflect their value to Alberta’s future.”

Finance Minister Nate Horner said he is pleased to hear both sides are willing to negotiate, however he took aim at the ATA for the threat of a strike.

“This is a long overdue step after the ATA walked away from negotiation in late August and cast a shadow of uncertainty and doubt over the start of the school year,” said Horner. “Announcing a strike commencing Oct. 6 before the parties have resumed negotiations only serves to increase stress among Alberta’s students and families.”

Schilling says teachers have continually been disrespected by the UCP government which creates distractions that downplay issues in classrooms.

“For the government to state that teachers would sacrifice their students’ learning conditions for salary is insulting. Teachers should not have to choose one or the other,” said Schilling.

The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education has posted a timeline of negotiations on its website and says it values a strong working relationship with Local 39 and will connect division staff and families directly through email if any information becomes available.

“We understand that the uncertainty of labour action can be concerning to all parties involved,” reads the update.

The Medicine Hat Public School Division is also posting negotiation updates on its website, however no updates were posted following Tuesday’s strike action announcement as of the time of publication.

Prairie Rose Public Schools has posted a FAQ for families on its website detailing contingency plans and central and local bargaining and says they will be regularly updating its website and sending parents emails for official updates from the school division.

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