Edmonton Public Schools teachers reject mediator’s proposal, authorize strike vote

Public school teachers in Edmonton have voted in favour of authorizing a strike vote after rejecting a proposal from a third-party mediator.

Teachers employed by Edmonton Public Schools voted 97 per cent in favour of authorizing the Alberta Teachers’ Association to ask for a government-supervised strike vote.

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This comes after teachers attending a meeting on Sunday voted 91 per cent against the mediator’s recommendations.

Heather Quinn, president of Edmonton Public Teachers Local 37, said the recommendations didn’t offer enough improvement for teachers working in online learning or for those teaching summer school and night school.

The association said despite teachers authorizing a strike vote, they are still hopeful for a negotiated settlement.

Quinn said the votes provide a strong mandate for teacher negotiators to go back to the bargaining table and fight for further improvement.