Alberta Teachers and Province Resume Talks Amid Ongoing Strike

Negotiations Restart After Week-Long Strike

The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) and the provincial government's bargaining committee resumed negotiations on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, marking the first formal meeting since a provincewide teachers' strike commenced on October 6, 2025. The strike has led to the closure of approximately 2,500 public, separate, and francophone schools across Alberta, impacting between 730,000 and 750,000 students.

The resumption of talks comes after a week of halted negotiations, during which the government also issued a lockout of all staff on October 7, 2025.

Core Issues and Rejected Proposals

At the heart of the labour dispute are long-standing concerns regarding teacher wages, class sizes, and the complexity of classrooms, which includes support for students with additional needs. Teachers overwhelmingly rejected the government's previous offer, which included a 12 percent pay raise over four years and a commitment to hire 3,000 additional teachers. The ATA, representing 51,000 teachers, has argued that this offer was insufficient to address the systemic issues within the education system.

Latest Developments and Government Stance

During the Tuesday meeting, the ATA presented a new proposal. However, Finance Minister Nate Horner, a key government figure in the negotiations, described the union's latest proposal as 'complex' and stated it would require almost $2 billion more in spending than the government had allocated for a deal. Horner emphasized that the government's spending cap for a new contract is $2.6 billion over four years and indicated that the province would not compromise on salary increases, deeming its last offer 'extremely fair' and consistent with other public sector agreements.

As of Wednesday, October 15, 2025, no immediate details from the resumed discussions have been released, and no further meeting dates have been scheduled. The government has also indicated it would consider back-to-work legislation if the strike continues to prolong.

Impact and Public Sentiment

The ongoing strike has significantly disrupted the academic year for hundreds of thousands of students. In response, the government has launched an online portal allowing parents to claim subsidies of $30 for each missed school day per child aged 12 and under, to help cover childcare costs. Public opinion appears to lean in favour of the teachers, with an Angus Reid Institute poll suggesting that 58 percent of Albertans sympathize with the striking educators. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has also been involved in discussions surrounding the broader education landscape in Alberta.