After months of deadlock, 51,000 Alberta teachers launch province-wide strike

On the morning of Oct. 6, Alberta’s education system ground to a halt as 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) walked off the job in a historic province-wide teachers’ strike
The strike affects more than 730,000 students in Alberta’s public, separate, and francophone schools, with over 142,000 students in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) system directly impacted.
The strike follows the overwhelming rejection by 89.5 % of ATA members of a tentative agreement offered by the government—despite the deal proposing 12 % total wage increases over four years, grid adjustments for many teachers, and free COVID-19 vaccines for healthy teachers.
That offer also included a commitment to hire 3,000 new teaching positions and 1,500 educational assistants by 2028. But the ATA says those measures fall short. President Jason Schilling has publicly stated the province needs to bring on 5,000 new teachers or more, in addition to addressing growing class complexity, resource gaps, and inflation-erosion of wages.
In the weeks leading up to the strike, the two sides resumed talks amid increasing tension. Late in September, the Alberta government filed a labour complaint against the ATA, accusing the union of making false claims about negotiators’ mandates. The complaint was resolved by the Alberta Labour Relations Board, clearing the path for continuing central bargaining.
While in-class instruction has ceased, students still retain access to learning platforms like D2L and Google Classroom. The CBE has clarified, however, that teachers will not be monitoring, assessing, or responding to student work during the strike.
Earlier, the CBE had planned to suspend platform access altogether, but reversed that decision as the strike approached.
To support student continuity, the province has temporarily lifted the 10-credit limit for non-primary distance learning for grades 10–12, allowing enrolment in independent school courses while remaining in current divisions.
On the financial front, the government is offering $150 per week per child (aged 12 and under) to parents or guardians of students in public, Catholic, or francophone systems. Applications open Oct. 14, with first payments by e-transfer starting Oct. 31 retroactive to Oct. 6.
Further, childcare subsidies for grades 1–6 have been boosted to summer rates (up to $644) for the month of October, following five continuous days of strike. Out-of-school care programs may opt to offer all-day care during the walkout period.
Additionally, the province is allowing free admission for Albertans aged 18 and under to provincial heritage sites and museums (e.g. Royal Tyrrell Museum, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump) during the strike.
Though teachers are striking, many school support staff remain on duty. That includes bus drivers, custodians, educational assistants, and maintenance crews.
Transportation providers such as Southland and First Student say drivers will still report for work, using the disruption period to train and prepare. “If we just lay the drivers off, it’s really hard to get them back,” said Les Cross, president of Southland’s parent company.
Unions representing support staff, such as Unifor (educational assistants, librarians) and CUPE Local 40 (custodial, maintenance), have affirmed they will not undertake teachers’ duties. Instead, they intend to perform their own roles and, where possible, support teachers. “We’re not going to make it easier on the government,” said Unifor’s Gavin McGarrigle.
This marks Alberta’s first full teacher strike in over two decades—the last occurring in 2002, when then-premier Ralph Klein ordered teachers back to work after nearly three weeks.
In recent days, rallies in Calgary and Edmonton have drawn thousands in support of public education and teacher demands.
As the strike stretches on, observers will be watching whether the government and ATA reach a meaningful settlement—and how long students, families, and the education system can hold out in this standoff.