EDMONTON - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed hope on Saturday that upcoming legislation to mandate striking teachers return to work will not trigger wider labour unrest. Her remarks came during a call-in radio show, following a warning from the Alberta Federation of Labour about possible "unprecedented" mobilization if the government employs the notwithstanding clause in negotiations with teachers.

The Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents 350,000 workers across various sectors, stated that invoking the notwithstanding clause would escalate tensions from a dispute between the government and teachers to a confrontation with the entire Canadian labour movement. "If you take this unprecedented approach, we will have no choice but to mobilize an unprecedented response," the federation warned in a statement.

Smith indicated that if an agreement is not reached by the weekend, her government will introduce legislation on Monday to end the strike that began on October 6. The government has not confirmed whether it will use the notwithstanding clause, which allows for the temporary suspension of certain rights under the Charter for up to five years.

During the radio show, a caller inquired about the potential for a provincewide strike if the notwithstanding clause is invoked. Smith reiterated her desire for a resolution before the legislation is introduced, while not dismissing the possibility of using the clause. She noted that the government had previously invited teachers to enhanced mediation, which was declined.

"We’re at a point now where if they don’t voluntarily agree with us to return to work and do that kind of mediation work, we’re just going to have to have them back," Smith said. She emphasized the need to balance the rights of taxpayers, students, and teachers.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, criticized the enhanced mediation proposal, calling it insulting for excluding discussions on classroom size caps. He did not rule out the possibility of ending the strike if the province alters the mediation terms.

When asked why classroom size was not part of the negotiations, Smith explained that not all issues can be addressed at the bargaining table. She proposed launching a commission after the strike to examine Alberta's education system and address classroom complexity and size issues.

Smith stated, "That’s the kind of granular work that we need to do, is classroom by classroom, go through and work with the school boards to engineer a solution that’s going to work for the particular teacher, that particular circumstance." She added that including classroom size provisions in contracts could be limiting, as each school has unique needs.

The government has proposed a 12 percent salary increase over four years and plans to hire 3,000 additional teachers. However, a caller criticized Smith for suggesting that issues would be addressed only after a contract is signed, arguing that contractual agreements should hold both parties accountable from the outset.

On Friday, Schilling noted that no formal negotiation meetings were scheduled for the weekend, expressing skepticism about further talks if the province remains unwilling to discuss key union priorities. The Alberta Teachers’ Association is currently considering its options regarding the potential back-to-work order, with legal input being sought.