In a firm stance against what they perceive as an ultimatum from school board bargainers, Palliser teachers have voted decisively to pursue a strike vote.
At a Feb. 12 meeting attended by more than three-quarters of its members, teachers voted 92 per cent in favour of authorizing the Alberta Teachers’ Association to seek a government-supervised strike vote. This move followed the rejection of the school board’s latest offer in local bargaining by the same voting margin.
“Palliser negotiators said there would be no bargaining table to come back to if teachers rejected their offer. It was a threat that our teachers did not take kindly to, and they strongly voted that offer down. At the end of the day, it offered no noticeable improvements over the status quo,” said Palliser local president Natalie Townshend.
Critical issues for Palliser members include substitute teacher recruitment and retention challenges and fair compensation for teachers in colony schools. Despite the school board’s assertions of no substitute teacher availability issues, Townshend insists otherwise.
“We are expecting over 400 teacher days this year where teaching positions will go unfilled. When this happens, classes are combined and teachers are pulled away from doing work to prepare for lessons. Sub shortages have a real, significant impact on the quality of education students receive.”
Furthermore, Townshend highlighted that teacher bargainers have proposed solutions to these issues that are both low cost and consistent with settlements achieved in other school divisions across the southern region of the province.
She stressed the urgency for school board bargainers to return to the negotiating table, warning that if no progress is made, the ATA will be compelled to seek alternative avenues.
“If the board refuses to negotiate, we have no other options left.” ❚
