Alberta’s Finance Minister says the province will consider back-to-work legislation if teachers are still off the job when the legislature returns later this month.
Nate Horner says there is still a big gap between what the union representing striking teachers is asking for and what the government is willing to spend.
The province-wide strike, affecting about 750,000 students in 2,500 schools, entered its seventh day on Wednesday.
A new contract proposal from the Alberta Teachers Association was the subject of a negotiating meeting Tuesday, the first since its 51,000 teachers walked off the job on Oct. 6.
Horner, in an interview with Corus Radio host Shaye Ganam, said the union “shot for the moon” with its latest proposal as it would require almost $2 billion more in spending than the government had set aside for a deal.
“In that sense, I’m sure your members will be pleased with this request,” Horner said Wednesday.
He also said the government is likely to introduce back-to-work legislation later this month, when the legislative assembly returns.
“If this continues when we start session (Oct. 27), I guess we’ll try to get kids back to school quickly,” he said.
“I know that the parties have left the possibility of continuing talking, but we are running out of time.”
He said the government’s spending limit for a contract is $2.6 billion, which would be spread over four years.
“I was hoping for something a little more reasonable in the area we have already worked on over the last year,” the minister said.
Horner said the union’s proposal boils down to a bigger pay rise than the government had previously offered and taking action on classroom issues, including limits on class sizes.
Union President Jason Schilling said at a news conference Wednesday that his proposal is not an extravagant request.
“The government wanted to know what the teachers were asking for. We showed it to them,” he said.
The province will not give in, says Horner
The government’s latest offer, overwhelmingly rejected in a teacher vote late last month, included a 12 percent pay rise over four years and the government’s promise to hire 3,000 more educators to address overcrowded classrooms.
Horner said the province will not budge on wages and said its latest offer was “extremely fair” and in line with recent contracts the province has signed with other public sector unions.
“I don’t think there’s much room there,” he said.
The union could not immediately respond to questions about the minister’s comments.
A union spokesperson said no further meeting dates have been scheduled and that the two sides are “considering their options.”
Horner later said in a statement that the government would like to return to the negotiating table this week.
“The ATA and its members must be prepared to reach a clear and concrete solution based on reality,” he said.
Schilling said the union is being realistic.
“You want reality? Go see our classrooms all over this province,” he said.
“To say we are not grounded in reality is that we are…dealing with the ramifications of this government’s failure to do the right thing for the students of this province, their parents and the rest of Alberta.”
