Alberta schools, educators, students preparing for classes to resume if bill orders teachers back to work

Some Alberta school divisions and one labour expert anticipate that a bill coming Monday ordering teachers back to work will say when classes should resume.

Mount Royal University human resources professor Christian Cook said in a Friday interview that once proclaimed, back-to-work legislation could order teachers back into schools within 24 to 48 hours.

“Once that happens, strike action will actually be deemed illegal,” Cook said.

The Alberta government has said Finance Minister Nate Horner intends to table the Back to School Act on Monday, aiming to end the lockout of 51,000 public, Catholic and francophone teachers who went on strike Oct. 6.

The province’s four largest school divisions said they don’t know when classes will resume, but are telling families not to send their children