An estimated 18,000 educators, parents and students assembled at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton Sunday morning, with many holding flags or picket signs as they chanted for greater government support for public education.
The rally comes a day before Alberta’s 51,000 teachers are set to strike. If the teachers’ union and provincial government are unable to reach an eleventh-hour deal, Monday will mark the first provincewide teachers’ strike in Alberta history.
“Public education is a foundation of a strong democratic society,” Heather Quinn, president of ATA Local 37, which represents Edmonton public school teachers, said during a speech on the Legislature’s steps.
“We ask everyone in Alberta to not only speak up, stand up, but now fight for the future of public education, so our children, our families and future generations will have equitable access to education in Alberta,” Quinn said.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the provincial government have been deadlocked for more than a month as the parties negotiate a new collective agreement. Salaries, growing class sizes and hiring more people to help with classroom complexities are among the major sticking points. The previous contract expired in August 2024.
Teachers last went on strike in 2002. For several weeks that year, more than 20,000 teachers from 22 school divisions walked off the job until then-premier Ralph Klein declared a public emergency and ordered them back to work.
During her bi-weekly radio program Saturday morning, Premier Danielle Smith said the government has asked the union to call off the strike, describing the potential job action as a “lose-lose-lose situation” for teachers, parents and students. At the time, she said the union hadn’t given any indication that the strike would not go ahead.
The government had asked the union to return to the bargaining table this weekend, but they were unavailable for formal talks, according to a statement from the office of Finance Minister Nate Horner.
“Our goal is to keep our kids in the classroom. We are ready to get back to the bargaining table as soon as the ATA leadership is ready,” the statement said.
On Sunday, some rally-goers drove hours from other communities in Alberta to make it to the legislative grounds, including Laurie Dirsa, a teacher from High Level, a town roughly 600 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.
“Edmonton is where the decisions are made,” Dirsa said. “This is where they need to see us, and not forget us, because we’re not going away this time.”
Many of the people CBC News spoke with Sunday expressed concerned about class sizes and how that affects the education students receive. Jill Kwasniewski, an Edmonton public school principal, said her daughter was in a class with 43 students. Eighth grader August Newman said five new students have already joined their class this year, growing it to about 30 students.
Jackie Ford, a teacher of 27 years, has Grade 6 classes with 38 students in her school.
“We have students who are struggling to learn English, students who are struggling with different learning needs — and [teachers can’t] reach all of them and help all of them the way they deserve, the way we should be,” Ford said.
Shevon Lam, a Grade 1 teacher in Edmonton, told CBC News that, based on the current environment, she doesn’t want her future children to be part of the public school system.
“It’s crumbling,” Lam said. “We’re watching it happen.”
Students at the rally told CBC News that they support teachers striking, but they recognized it would disrupt their learning.
Talon Cook, a Grade 11 student, is already preparing to teach himself the curriculum so he can keep up his education. If teachers do strike, he wants it to end quickly.
“The sooner it ends, the sooner I can get back to school without interruption,” Cook said.
