Commentary
When the Alberta teachers’ union overwhelmingly voted to begin a strike on Oct. 6, despite what appeared to be a reasonable offer on the table, citizens were confused. The government was prepared to give teachers a 12 percent raise, along with a commitment to hire 3,000 more teachers and 1,500 more educational assistants. It addressed what were considered the teachers’ prime concerns. The province is also investing $8.6 billion to construct new schools and add 200,000 educational spaces by 2031.
So, what do the teachers want?
The actions of one of the members of the executive council of the Alberta teachers’ union, offer a hint of where the hangup is. The day after teachers across the province walked out, the executive filed paperwork to try and invoke a referendum to ban provincial funding from going toward independent schools. The teachers’ union is ideologically opposed to offering educational choice in the primary and secondary levels of the school system….