UPDATE: St. Albert public school teachers reject provincewide labour contract

EDMONTON – St. Albert public teachers threw a wrench into labour negotiations by rejecting the proposed provincewide agreement, sending the ministry and the Alberta Teachers’ Association into talks Wednesday.

Carol Henderson, ATA president, said this first vote is “a small wrinkle” for the union that is trying to get all teachers onside for the deal, which offers a three-year wage freeze and influence over working conditions.

But Henderson, who will meet with Education Minister Jeff Johnson Thursday, said it is important to find a way to avoid the possibility of provincial legislation that would force a dissenting ATA local to accept a deal — even if the majority approve.

“We don’t want a legislated settlement for anyone who says ‘no’ — we want buy-in from our teachers,” said Henderson.

At the legislature Wednesday, Johnson downplayed the vote as a “little setback” and “part of the process.”

With several weeks left until the May 13 deadline for approving the deal, “it’s too early” to make any decisions about how to enforce the deal over objections from any local or any dissenting boards — though so far two-thirds of the boards have approved it, he said.

“I think we can find a way to make this work,” Johnson told reporters. The ATA is “doing good work” with their locals and his department is working with the boards to understand their concerns, he added.

Ellen Snaith, president of local 73, said teachers in the St. Albert public district rejected the provincewide deal because they are committed to local bargaining.

“We have a very positive relationship with the board — respectful and co-operative — and we are looking for the opportunity to go back to the table locally,” said Snaith, who declined to comment on what issues they’d like to pursue with the local board.

The “no” votes passed with a substantial majority of teachers, Snaith said, noting a number of things in the agreement did not apply to St. Albert.

The proposed provincewide agreement, which offers teachers some say in determining classroom conditions and a 2.5-per-cent increase in the fourth year, was worked out last month after Premier Alison Redford intervened in the long-stalled talks.

About 70 per cent of the 62 school boards have approved the tentative deal, including both public and Catholic boards in Edmonton, as well as Catholic and public teachers who endorsed the deal last week.

Joan Trettler, chairman of the St. Albert public school board, said the board will vote on May 8 on whether to accept the provincewide agreement. She declined to comment on the “no” vote by local teachers or how that would affect the board.

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the local and that’s the key to successful district,” said Trettler. “Our district has found for a long time that local bargaining is effective.”

The St. Albert “no” vote was not a big surprise to the ATA, said Henderson, given that local “has a very good relationship with their board and superintendent.”

One other board in Medicine Hat may also vote against the provincewide deal, she said.

But any local voting against the deal raises a problem for the ATA, she said. The union cannot accept legislation that would force any dissenting local to take the deal.

It may be possible to allow for bargaining on some very local conditions under the provincewide framework, but that will be the subject of talks with Johnson, said Henderson.

“It’s not a big wrinkle. I’m not worried; we will work something out,” she added.

It’s understandable the St. Albert local “didn’t see anything in this provincewide agreement for them,” Henderson said. They already have “reasonable” clauses limiting teachers’ workload, she said.

But in many rural districts, teachers don’t have such limits on “assignable time” and teachers must work up to 56 hours a week, she said. The provincewide deal allows the ATA to get such clauses in rural areas — “we’d never get these clauses otherwise.”

Johnson said he was encouraged the Edmonton public board set aside their initial objections to the deal and approved it at a meeting Tuesday night. Previously the board worried the deal would be too expensive for the board, given the budget cuts this year.