EDMONTON – Premier Alison Redford announced Friday that the Alberta government had reached a tentative four-year agreement with the province’s teachers. However, the Edmonton Public School Board is not pleased local boards were left out of the discussions.
The agreement between the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) and the province comes after more than two years of discussions. The deal will see the salary grid for nearly 40,000 Alberta teachers frozen for three years, followed by an increase of two per cent in 2015 and a one-time lump sum payment to be funded by government in that same year.
“We thought it was worth one more shot,” Redford said Friday at a news conference with ATA president Carol Henderson and Alberta Education Minister Jeff Johnson.
“I am happy. I think it’s wonderful that parents and kids and teachers will have certainty and stability. It’s a much more constructive process.”
A commitment to review teachers’ workload is the cornerstone of the agreement.
“I’ve heard from many teachers across the province that their concerns have never been about raises. It’s been about workload and we want teachers to know that we are listening,” said Johnson.
“Alberta Education will conduct an internal review, as well as a third-party study, to look at how teacher workloads can be adjusted and how we can improve the educational experience for Alberta’s 600,000 students.”
Henderson said workload and stability were the things that her members were most concerned about. She noted that the average work week for a teacher is 56 hours.
“I’m very pleased with taking this forward to teachers for those reasons. I’d like to thank the premier for making a big effort at the last of the 11th hour to get this done.”
The new deal still has to be voted on by teachers. If accepted, the province’s 62 school boards will have to determine how they would implement it at the local level.
The Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) was not at the announcement Friday morning.
Late Friday afternoon, ABSA president Jacquie Hansen said the association was concerned it was not part of the discussions on the proposal.
“Very disappointed we weren’t part of the deal,” she said, “but where it stands now, it is what it is.”
“I think our job at this point is to look at the content of what the document says and really how this impacts the kids of Alberta.”
Hansen says the ABSA received a draft of the proposal Wednesday evening.
“The reduction in teacher time is one of them… teachers teaching fewer hours in front of our kids could have an impact on how a whole school day looks, and how we are able to operate our schools,” she explained.
“Even though the salaries are at zero percent there are going to be costs for school boards,” said Hansen.
“We believe that now is the time for school boards to voice what impact this deal will have on kids, and ensure, that while it’s being promoted as a benefit to the public education system, that we look at the detail and really what this could mean to kids in the classroom, and we do have some significant concerns.”
The chair of Edmonton’s Public School Board is also not pleased school boards were left out of discussions leading up to this deal.
“The Alberta School Boards Association was informed that there was an agreement reached between the government of Alberta and the Alberta Teachers’ Association. It was not part of discussions,” said Sarah Hoffman Friday.
She is concerned that the voices of local school districts aren’t being considered.
“Our board is disheartened that – after more than a century – the government has abandoned the role of school boards in reflecting the needs of local communities and students.”
“Our board definitely has some concerns with what the future of school boards is – actually – in this province.”
Hoffman added that the EPSB has had a long history of working with the ATA to resolve local issues, but she fears now, that relationship is being threatened.
“We have a great deal of respect for the role that the ATA – and particularly our local – plays in solving local problems, and this is definitely a departure from that process, what the government’s proposing.”
“This process definitely hasn’t respected what I signed on to,” Hoffman said.
She explained the EPSB has a number of concerns about the proposed deal, particularly in the wake of last week’s provincial budget.
“Based on the reductions of our revenue and with no changes to enrollment, we will face a revenue shortfall of $3 million for the remainder of this school year alone, and another $29 million for 2013-2014. That’s a budget cut of three percent.”
“On top of the revenue shortfall, we will also be facing increased staffing costs. For teachers, these costs will include annual increments and benefits which are not funded as part of the proposed agreement.”
The current pay grid allows teachers who attain higher levels of education or experience to advance to a higher pay level. Hoffman says those annual increments aren’t funded in the proposed deal.
“Our board is worried that we’ve been put in a position that we cannot possibly hope to fund or fulfill the agreement we’ve been asked to support today,” Hoffman explained.
She added that the EPSB believes this proposed agreement will exacerbate the financial difficulties the board is facing. On top of that, she says, school boards are now being asked to shoulder more of the costs.
“To be clear, we will not be able to sustain our current levels of service. I need to stress that this is a very conservative estimate, and it could end up being far worse.”
Hoffman says the ASBA has requested that the school boards comment on the proposed deal on Monday.
The Edmonton Catholic School Board (ECSB) is relieved a deal has been reached.
“We’re looking forward to the possibility of four years of labour peace,” said Becky Kallal, chair of the ECSB.
“The minister did indicate that the process maybe wasn’t was it could have or should have been, but he also indicated a desire to work on that process,” she added.
Kallal said the board would always like to be involved, but that the outcome – that an agreement may be reached – is a positive.
“I guess I would rather focus on what it could give us going forward. Our district really feels that four years of labour peace – and with parameters set, understanding the length of time, and the parameters within that – we’re going to try to embrace those and try to just get on with that and move forward.”
“I do see this as two distinct issue – there’s a process piece – and yes, that wasn’t really what it could be – but there’s the piece of what’s in the agreement – we’re willing to focus on that right now,” explained Kallal.
A date for the teachers to vote on the deal has not been set yet.
With files from the Canadian Press
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