Alberta teachers are required to pay the tab for the nearly month-long strike last October to replenish funds lost in the ATA's Special Emergency Fund, which were used during negotiations.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com
Alberta teachers who went on strike last October will now have to pay the Alberta Teachers Association $40 a month until the union representing more than 51,000 educators can restore its Special Emergency Fund.
On Oct. 6 last year teachers walked off the job for nearly a month before Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government imposed the Back to School Act, or Bill 2, which was fast-tracked into legislation and imposed a four-year contract as well as forced teachers back to work on Oct. 27.
According to the ATA, during the three-week strike action it occurred “extraordinary expenditures” related to collective bargaining, and says the province-wide strike depleted the union’s Special Emergency Fund, valued at $25.5 million.
“By far the greatest liability covered by the fund was the cost of reimbursing school boards for maintaining member health benefits during the strike,” reads a press release.
According to the ATA the cost of reimbursing schools divisions totalled $24 million and, additionally, expenditures relating to supporting strike action, as well as legal challenges to Bill 2, will be a total cost in the ballpark of $25-$26 million.
The union says it can recover roughly $5 million by adjusting its budget and pulling from its Defence and Advocacy Fund, however the remaining $20-ish million will be recovered by members.
This means, beginning Feb. 1, Alberta teachers will pay the ATA $40 a month until the union’s Special Emergency Fund is restored to its pre-strike level. This is estimated to take 16 months, or about $640 for each teacher.
“The Alberta Teachers’ Association needs to rebuild its Special Emergency Fund which was depleted during the strike,” president Jason Schilling said in a statement. “Having sufficient funds in place will ensure that we are ready for what’s sure to be a challenging round of bargaining for 2028.”
The union has also established a review committee to examine the processes and outcomes of collective bargaining in both the 2020 and 2024 rounds.
This report is expected to be complete by October and will include potential recommendations to budget or policy changes that will be brought forward during the Annual Representative Assembly in 2027.
The ATA says it still plans to forgo teacher membership fees that were not collected in October 2025 and reduce its 2025-26 fees for members.
