One of the complaints occasionally leveled at the Alberta Teachers’ Association is that we are aligned with the New Democratic Party.
In the lead up to last year’s provincial election, this allegation was essentially made by the United Conservative Party’s executive director in a public release asking Elections Alberta to investigate the Association for not registering as a third-party advertiser.
The Association’s argument, which appears to have been successful, is that our advertising does not advertise for or against any political party and therefore does not qualify as third-party political advertising.
Our long-held position is that we are non-partisan. Now, this will probably seem contradictory when I urge teachers later in this editorial to buy an NDP membership. It is not.
Our policy of non-partisanship is nuanced. It says, “the Association does not align itself with any political party, or with any candidate seeking political office.” But it also says, “the Association seeks to influence the educational policies of other organizations” and that we “take stands on issues affecting student learning.”
Importantly, the policy says that we encourage parties and candidates for political office to outline their policies on public education, and it says that we encourage teachers, as citizens, to actively participate in the political process by supporting parties and candidates of their choice.
That last part is worth emphasizing. Just because the Association has chosen non-partisanship does not mean that individual teachers need to remain non-partisan. Quite the opposite, in fact. We believe that teachers should be involved in the political process — actively.
So, here it comes. I want you to buy an NDP membership.
I also wanted you to buy a UCP membership in 2022, a PC membership in 2017 and an Alberta Party membership in 2018. By buying a membership when a political party is holding a leadership vote, you have the opportunity to vote for the next leader of the political party and, potentially, the next premier of the province.
When teachers buy memberships and get involved, it helps to advance issues related to education in the contest, and it helps to get ideas for education put on the table.
In 2006, after Ralph Klein announced that he was stepping down as PC leader, ATA President Frank Bruseker urged teachers to buy PC party memberships. A rural farmer and MLA, considered a long shot in the race, decided to put in his leadership platform a promise to work with teachers to settle the long-standing issue of the teacher pension plan’s unfunded liability. Ed Stelmach was not supposed to win that leadership race. But he did. And a few years later, he struck an agreement with teachers to settle the pension issue and to tie teacher salary increases to average weekly earnings.
Just because we’re not partisan doesn’t mean we are not political.
In 2011, Alison Redford strategically courted teacher votes by promising to reverse a $107 million cut in funding for public education. Many attribute the subsequent support of teachers with her success in becoming the party leader. The funding was advanced within weeks of her win.
In these instances, you knew the successful leadership candidate would become premier; however, as 2015 showed us, you never know who might become premier.
As we think about the many issues facing public education, it can’t hurt to get political. We need to push aspiring NDP leaders to put their education ideas on the table, and we need to encourage teachers to get active. Achieving our goals to improve public education requires multiple strategies. It includes bargaining; it includes advocacy; it includes politics.
The cut-off to buy a membership and to be eligible to vote is April 22. Buy a membership now at albertandp.ca and reach out to the candidates to find out where they stand.
Just because we’re not partisan doesn’t mean we are not political. Get active and get involved. ❚
Editor-in-Chief, ATA News
