The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has turned down a government proposal for “enhanced mediation,” a step the province says could have sent teachers and students back to classrooms as early as Monday while contract talks continued.

The offer, issued by the Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office, would have involved a third-party mediator working with the ATA and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association to craft a recommended settlement. Premier Danielle Smith, Finance Minister Nate Horner, and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a joint statement Friday that the government was “very disappointed” by the union’s refusal.

“This process would have ensured that students returned to classrooms on Monday, and that teachers returned to work,” the statement read. “We

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