The group representing Alberta teachers says hopes are high that a deal will be reached as mediated talks resume before the school year gets underway.
Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, says while hopeful, there are a number of issues that need to be settled if this week’s talks are to be successful.
Teachers voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action earlier this summer.
Schilling says the June vote signalled that pay, classroom conditions, crowding and resources for students were unacceptable.
Mediated talks begin Tuesday and stretch until Friday, and Schilling says if a tentative deal is reached, a ratification vote would be held in a matter of weeks.
If no deal is reached, Schilling says the union will consider its next steps, which could include a provincewide strike as early as next week.