Parents have little info to go on in event of teachers strike

By Lethbridge Herald on September 12, 2025.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

After the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) announced Wednesday it intends to take job action on Oct. 6 if a deal is not reached with the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA), parents across the city were notified. At different times. 

The Lethbridge School Division, which had created a page within its website to inform parents of labour relations since the end of August, told parents within their division Wednesday afternoon about the latest development by sharing the ATA’s statement in an email just hours after ATA president Jason Schilling made the announcement. 

The email reads in part, “We are writing to provide an important update on the status of collective bargaining between the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA). We know that many in our school communities have questions about what may unfold in the coming weeks and want to ensure you are informed about the latest developments.” 

The email proceeds to share the ATA statement and reassures parents that “Currently there is no change to school operations.” And lets them know that whenever information becomes available, they will be informed. 

The division also explains what the various potential job actions could be by saying “Potential actions could include work to rule (which means withdrawal of voluntary services outside of regular duties), rotating strikes or a full strike.” 

And the email concludes with a commitment to parents by saying, “We know the uncertainty this situation creates is difficult. We remain committed to keeping you informed as the situation evolves.” 

Parents in the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division were not informed immediately after the ATA provided an update; instead, their email came Thursday afternoon after parents had become aware of the situation by other means. 

The email begins by providing the ATA statement and adds, “As this is a province-wide matter, the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division’s focus remains on supporting our students, staff and families while ensuring learning continues.” 

It goes on to say, “In sharing this message, we have taken time to provide the clearest picture possible with the information available to us. We want to reassure our community that there are no changes currently to Holy Spirit Catholic School.” 

At this point of the bargaining process, the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division created a webpage within their website to provide families with labour updates. 

“To keep our families informed, we have created a Labour Updates webpage where we will share updates specific to how this labour action affects Holy Spirit Catholic School Schools as information becomes available.” 

In their new webpage, families can find the ATA statement and a message from Board of Trustees Chair, Carmen Mombourquette. 

“The Board of Trustees and Holy Spirit Catholic School Division respects the rights of teachers and all workers to engage in collective bargaining. We are hopeful that a resolution will be reached before October 6 to avoid any labour action. We are grateful for the commitment of our teachers and administrators, and we remain focused on providing our students with a positive and engaging learning environment.” 

For members of the community within the Lethbridge School Division, information about Labour Relations can be found on https://labourrelations.schoolsites.ca/ 

For members of the community within the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division, information on Labour Updates can be found on https://www.holyspirit.ab.ca/labour-updates