Alberta teachers’ union files labour complaint, alleges province engaged in ‘bad-faith bargaining’
CBC
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is accusing the province’s negotiating body of “bad-faith bargaining” regarding its commitment to hiring more teachers.
In a news release issued Friday, the ATA alleged the province did not reveal its true stance on the plan to bring in 3,000 additional teachers that it committed to in the legislation that ended October’s provincial teachers’ strike.
The ATA said it is filing an Alberta Labour Relations Board complaint about what it believes were unfair bargaining practices used by the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA).
The organization said it has also filed 61 similar grievances — one in every bargaining unit across the province.
The intent of the complaint and grievances are to “ensure the government and employer uphold their commitment to hire 3,000 new teachers over the next three years," according to an email the ATA sent to its members and that was obtained by CBC News.
The email also said the complaint “addresses government statements that publicly questioned the ATA’s motives and misrepresented its actions during bargaining” — actions it said undermined the ATA’s credibility.
In an email to CBC News, Alberta Treasury Board and Finance said “the intent of Bill 2: the Back to School Act was to get kids back into the classroom. Alberta’s government stands behind Bill 2.”
“We understand the ATA has filed a challenge regarding hiring commitments. We will respond to the challenge in due course, and we look forward to this matter being resolved. Out of respect for the legal process, we have no further comment at this time.”
Jason Schilling, the president of the ATA, said at a news conference on Friday that he believes the government is attempting to “rewrite its own commitments,” and that the ATA wants clarification on what was agreed to at the bargaining table regarding the plan to bring in additional teachers.
“What was told at the bargaining table and then was commented afterwards, it seemed to be two different things and we need clarity on them,” he said.
“What will come out of the complaint is hopefully that we hold the government [accountable] for what they said.”
The government’s commitment to hiring 3,000 teachers is enshrined in the Back to School Act, the legislation it tabled and passed within one sitting day on Oct. 27 to get students back into schools after more than three weeks of cancelled classes.
The bill includes a “letter of understanding” that commits the government to funding 1,000 full-time, net new teaching positions in this school year and in each of the next two school years.
“This hiring is intended to increase the total number of teachers in the province and is in addition to any hiring required to address attrition rates,” the legislation says.
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