Alberta teachers file complaints against province, allege bad faith bargaining

The union for Alberta’s teachers says it has filed an unfair bargaining complaint against the province, accusing it of making “bait-and-switch” claims about hiring new teachers during a recent labour standoff.

The filing to the Alberta Labour Relations Board alleges unfair bargaining practices from the Teacher Employer Bargaining Association. There are similar grievances filed at each of the 61 local bargaining units.

“These actions are necessary because the government has attempted to rewrite its own commitments,” Jason Schilling, the head of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, told reporters in Edmonton Friday.

Schilling says they were misled during contract negotiations when the province promised 3,000 new teachers to address crowded classrooms and teaching complexities. The union con