Many Alberta teachers say that the last contract supply of their employers and union is not good enough to prevent them from hitting.
Edmonton’s teacher, Melissa Harmsma, is among those who say they will vote against the contract offer. Surveys open on Saturday for 51,000 educators belonging to the Alberta Teachers Association.
“It is insulting that they are offered … what they have offered us, again,” said Harmsma, referring to the increase in wages of 12 percent proposed for four years.
The teachers of public schools, Catholics and Francophones of Alberta had previously rejected that offer in May.
The consumer price index increased almost 21 percent in Alberta during the last six years, while the payment of teachers increased approximately 3.8 percent, Harmsma said. The last offer does not carry the expense power of the teachers where I was a decade ago, much less explain the future inflation, he added.
CBC News obtained copies from the tentative agreement earlier this week.
The ATE does not support the offer, a spokesman said in an email on Thursday, but presents it to the teachers for consideration.
New in this offer is a government commitment to finance 1,000 new net masters for the next three school years.
In fact, the sheets sent to the members of ATA on Thursday, whose copies were also obtained by CBC News, the ATA said that the proposal would cost the provincial government $ 750 million in three years. It is a more expensive offer than a classroom complexity of the classroom of $ 405 million that teachers previously rejected, according to the information sheet.
The 3,000 teachers would be added to those hired due to wear, and “in excess of the amount of contracts necessary to cover the growth of registration” through a provincial financing formula, according to the ATA information sheet.
The province did not confirm the figures. The parties are subject to an embargo agreement during the ratification process.
The informative sheet also said that the ATA had proposed class size limits and a definite relationship of student-ma, “that the government rejected out of control.”
On Wednesday, before the news of the offer became public, the president of ATE, Jason Schilling, said in an interview that the proposal for 3,000 additional teachers was the last resort to address classrooms full of students with exceptional and diverse needs.
“If we have more teachers in the system, we hope that will address the access points within the province, because we know that it will not be enough to address all our needs,” said Schilling.
The offer also includes a government promise to finance 1,500 additional educational assistant positions in Alberta in August 2028.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Minister of Finance, Nate Horner, said the tentative agreement is strong in the investment in the classroom. “If it is ratified, this agreement will form the basis for job stability in the province and will be a positive path for a successful school year for our children,” said his statement.
The mood is ‘horrible’
In Red Deer, the secondary school teacher Stephen Merredew says that growth growth sizes are the result of a provincial school financing formula that does not follow the rhythm of a substantial growth of registration, in addition to a delay in the construction of new schools.
The Government stopped registering class size data in 2019. Teachers have been based on anecdotes to illustrate worsening conditions.
Merredw said that he hopes that schools in Edmonton and Calgary regions probably obtain most of the new teachers, given the growth of the population in those areas. Schools in rural areas or smaller cities may not see anything, he added.
He called it “a little ridiculous” that contractual negotiations are also dealing with an adequate number of educational teachers and assistants in the province.
Merredw, who wanted the size of a class in the contract, said he plans to vote against the offer.
“I am inclined to endure until there is something in the contractual writing that improves learning conditions in the classroom at a tangible level,” he said.
The teacher who until last week had presided over the negotiation committee of the Central Table of the ATA also says that he will reject the offer.
The teacher of Grande Prairie Peter Mackay, former Vice President of ATE, said he resigned as president of the negotiation committee because he felt out of communication and decisions by the association. The ATE said he had to make some decisions about short timelines.
Mackay said the mood of the teachers is “horrible” after seeing the offer. On Thursday, he said that he had not yet listened to anyone who supports the offer, although he expects some will.
He said that the Chronic Government of Education for Education has had a “devastating” effect on working conditions, while the most static payment levels of teachers caused morality to collapse when the cost of living intensified.
In addition to that, he said, educators are enraged by new government policies ranging from the requirements to notify parents about the name of the students and the changes in the pronoun to the surveillance that students can play in the sports teams of the girls.
“They could not have caused teachers if they tried,” Mackay said.
The government is also moving to create a rapid follow -up teacher training program for people with specialized knowledge and skills.
“I would describe the not so angry teachers, but in a state of anger,” said Mackay, who has been teaching for 18 years. “I’ve never seen teachers as angry as they are today.”
But, Mackay points out, teachers will also have to consider their personal finances when they vote.
A surprising teachers would renounce their pay of around $ 480 per day, according to another Information sheet of ATA obtained by CBC. Teachers will not receive the payment of the strike, and the time spent on strike will affect their pensionable income, says the information sheet.
The informative sheet says that the union can pay the cost of the benefits of teachers during the labor action of an emergency fund of $ 25 million, but for a limited time.
‘The magnitude of this strike would be unprecedented’
Larry Booi was president of AT from 1999 to 2003 and directed a teacher strike in 2002. He said that teachers probably feel frustrated because they are asked to consider an offer similar to one that they had already rejected, and angry with the association to bring it.
Teachers may feel that they have nothing to lose by rejecting this offer, Booi said.
“[They’re saying] “It could well take a really determined position now because it really is our last chance to change this.” That is what I have been listening to. And too many teachers, “Booi said.” I’ve never seen anything like that. “
The ATA has said that the teachers will go to the strike on October 6 if the parties do not reach an agreement.
A third Information sheet of ATan about how a strike would work, sent to the members on Thursday and obtained by CBC News, said that a strike throughout the province of the teachers would be an alberta first.
“The magnitude of this strike would be unprecedented, both in the education sector and in provincial labor history,” says the sheet. “When deciding to proceed immediately to a complete strike, [the ATA] You are trying to exert the maximum possible pressure on the government to settle and put a rapid end to labor action, while limiting uncertainty and interruption caused to Alberta students and their families. “
The information sheet says that the parties can negotiate during a strike. They could also accept binding arbitration, or the government could order teachers to work again and impose an arbitrator or agreement.
Booi said the government could also delay a strike by sending the parties to a dispute consultation board.
“The success of a strike will depend on the solidarity and commitment of the members and the active support of the Albertans whose pressure on the government will be essential,” says the union informative sheet.
Attack members begin to vote online at the agreement at 8 am on Saturday, and the vote ends at 5 pm on Monday. The association is expected to announce the result at approximately 6:15 pm on Monday.
