The union representing 51,000 striking Alberta teachers is set to resume negotiations with the provincial government’s bargaining team after the long weekend.
The meeting would be the first since the provincewide strike began Monday, and the Alberta Teachers’ Association said it was spurred by the success of recent side talks.
Union spokesperson Heather Grant said in an email that further formal discussions could take place if the meeting set for Tuesday is successful.
Grant didn’t say if the union planned to present a counter-offer, which the government has been calling for.
“Exchanging proposals is an aspect of bargaining,” Grant said. “Both parties are meeting back at the table to move forward.”
Finance Minister Nate Horner said he’s pleased the union accepted the government’s offer to get back to bargaining.
Horner said he expects the union would have an offer to present and he hopes that offer “is reasonable, fair, and adequately represents the terms that teachers want to see reflected in their deal.”
“We are focused on a securing a deal that is fair to teachers, students and Alberta taxpayers,” he said.
A mediator is also set to take part in Tuesday’s meeting, the union said.
Teachers walked off the job Monday amid stalemated contract discussions.
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The job action — considered the largest walkout in provincial history — stems from a dispute with Premier Danielle Smith’s government over long-standing concerns, including wages, overcrowded classrooms and lacking supports for students with complex needs.
The government’s latest offer, overwhelmingly rejected in a vote by teachers, included a 12 per cent wage increase over four years and a commitment to hire 3,000 more teachers.
The strike affects some 740,000 students across 2,500 schools.
David Tait, president of the union’s Foothills Local 16, received news of the return to bargaining during rally in Okotoks, south of Calgary.
Tait, who is not on the union’s bargaining committee, said he hopes the government comes back with a concrete offer.
“The government knows what we want,” he said.
“When there’s something in front of teachers, we’ll vote on it and the membership will have its say and we’ll move forward from there … hopefully in a positive way.”
Also Thursday, a lockout order from the province went into effect, stopping teachers from changing how they strike, taking options like rotating job action off the table.
The lockout also means school boards have the option to start laying off other school staff, such as educational assistants and custodians, who have been working since the strike began.
Jason Foster, a labour relations professor at Athabasca University, said the delay in issuing the lockout made him furrow his brow.
“The (government) had plenty of notice,” he said. “They could have easily issued their lockout notice to align with the strike deadline, so I’m not sure why they didn’t.”
The Canadian Union of Provincial Employees, which represents educational assistants, and some school custodians and bus drivers, said it had already received some layoff notices.
A spokesperson for the union, Lou Arab, said the notices affect about 40 bus drivers in High Prairie, along with about 230 staff with the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division in Lethbridge.
Arab said another layoff notice was received earlier this week but was later withdrawn.
Bargaining association chair Scott McCormack said earlier this week that rotating strikes by educational assistants earlier this year created “tremendous uncertainty,” and the lockout makes sure that doesn’t happen again.
— With files from Aaron Sousa in Edmonton and Bill Graveland in Okotoks, The Canadian Press
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