Teachers vote to strike

By Lethbridge Herald on June 12, 2025.

Lethbridge Herald

Days after rejecting a proposed collective agreement from a mediator, Alberta teachers have voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action, giving their union a strong mandate to move forward with job action if contract talks fail.

Teachers across the province are standing united and ready to take action after nearly 39,000 teachers cast ballots online and in person between June 5 and 8. A strike date is not yet decoded; the Alberta Teachers Association says it will give 72 hours notice before taking any sort of job action.

The ATA said in a statement that by voting to strike, teachers are sending an unmistakable message: “we are united, we are determined, and we will no longer hold up a crumbling public education system.”

The strike vote came after an earlier ratification vote back in early May, when more than 60 per cent of teachers voted not to accept the mediators recommendation for a new agreement. Almost 36,000 ATA members took part in that vote.

ATA president Jason Schilling stated that for too long, teachers have been propping up a system that is under resourced and overburdened. 

“We are expected to do more with less every year,” said Schilling. “It’s about our students who are slipping through the cracks. It’s about our colleagues who are burning out and leaving the profession. It’s about our working conditions, which are our students’ learning conditions,”

The Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Provincial Executive Council will now determine next steps, including potential strike dates and actions. However, the Association and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) will go back to the table June 19-20, with more dates in August if needed.

Now that the strike vote has been casted, teachers have 120 days to initiate job action and must give 72 hours notice beforehand, keeping in mind that at any point during this process, an acceptable resolution may be reached with the TEBA. 

Locally, the Lethbridge School Division released a statement explaining that the possible job action could include work to rule, which means withdrawal of voluntary services outside of regular duties, rotating strikes or a full strike.

They also noted that at this time, the division has not received details about possible job action and how that might impact their schools, but assured parents that if those details are received, the Division will share that information as soon as possible.

The ATA explained in their statement that teachers across Alberta have been dealing with large class sizes, increasing classroom complexity, dwindling supports, and wages that do not account for these challenges or keep pace with inflation. 

“The government needs to act now, because Alberta’s kids can’t wait. The future of public education, our future, depends on it,” said Schilling.

He added that teachers are still hoping for a contract and a settlement before a walkout becomes inevitable.

“These timelines give us room to pursue meaningful progress at the table. Ultimately, teachers want a negotiated settlement that addresses their concerns, for their students, for their classrooms and for themselves.”