ATA prepared to negotiate, despite gov’t plan to force teachers back to work

The Alberta Teachers’ Association says it is aware of the looming back-to-work legislation promised by Premier Danielle Smith.

Such legislation appears to be coming with the return to the legislature for MLAs, happening Oct. 23.

“We are aware that the government is planning to legislate an end to the strike, but doing so will not bring an end to the deteriorating conditions that caused it. These conditions are the direct consequence of a decade of underfunding, leaving Alberta as the province spending the least on public education,” the ATA said in a statement Wednesday.

“We remain prepared to negotiate solutions that include a student-teacher ratio. Now it’s the government’s turn to take up the challenge of solving these serious issues in cooperation with teachers who want to support t