Front Burner Is Alberta headed for a general strike?
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Oct 31, 2025 Janet French, a seasoned provincial affairs reporter for CBC Edmonton, dives into the contentious teacher negotiations in Alberta. She unpacks the use of the notwithstanding clause by the UCP government, forcing teachers back to work and stoking potential union calls for a general strike. French delves into teachers' demands for better wages and manageable workloads, while critiquing the erosion of public education through policies favoring school choice. With public sympathy swelling, she explores the implications of a sustained union response and what it might take for a general strike.
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Teachers Face Real Wage And Workload Squeeze
- Teachers demanded wages that account for past inflation and manageable workloads as their responsibilities increased substantially since 2019.
- Janet French explains rising student needs and curriculum demands have effectively reduced teachers' real pay and capacity.
School Choice Shifted Funding And Focus
- The UCP's long-term push for school choice and charter expansion has redirected funds and options away from the public system.
- Janet French links policy changes and charter growth to perceptions that public schools are being eroded.
Charters Grew Beyond Their Original Purpose
- Charter schools were un-capped and expanded under the UCP, changing the original experimental intent into a larger system.
- Janet French notes the policy framed as innovation has not been replicated beneficially across public schools.