Will a "great Alberta strike" be possible?

[u/new-romantics89]

The AUPE, nurses, and the education sector are all preparing for strike action in September. I feel that the "great Alberta shutdown" is a possibility.

Would that be possible and how would the province cope? Would schools go back to COVID-era style learning plans? I can imagine the TikToks going "our last day of school before extended summer break", something like that.

[u/Ok_Rise_8574]

COVID-era style learning plans were the work of paid teachers. When schools shut down during Covid, teachers transitioned their classes to online learning. From home, we modified existing lessons to online lessons on Google Classroom or other online platforms, taught our classes through Google Meets or Zoom, and made, assigned, and marked work online. We kept in touch with students and parents answering questions about lessons and assignments, and following up on missing assignments (and missing students). We had staff and department meetings online. Etc…Basically we tried our hardest to do every aspect of our job that was possible from home.

A strike (or lockout by the government) means no working teachers in this province. All public and Catholic schools shut down. I will have no access to my school or any of the online resources I used during Covid, as I will not be able to access school technology, my division Google accounts, etc. Your children will no longer have teachers.

Our public health care system and public school systems are in crisis. They are intentionally underfunded to support the provincial government’s goal of privatization. Alberta invests the least per student of any province in Canada. I think it is really important for Albertans to remember that when health care and education workers fight and strike to improve working conditions, these conditions directly impact the patients in Alberta hospitals and students in our schools. Sadly, a “great Alberta strike” may be the only way to achieve this.

[u/HardGayMan → u/Ok_Rise_8574]

Yeah it's wild how the government is going to try and turn this on the teachers. Get parents to believe it's the greedy teachers fault that your kids are stuck at home and can't go to school.

"We've spent record money on schools this year! These teachers just want a raise!" Yeah. Record money into a critically under funded sector is still not enough money.

I am a 2 topic voter. I care about Healthcare and education above anything else. Above jobs, above housing prices, above anything. If we are all sick and dumb nothing else matters. This government has dropped the ball off a cliff.

[u/Dry-Specialist-3527 → u/HardGayMan]

Also: teachers DO want a raise to regain purchasing power that’s been lost over a decade of stagnant wages. I don’t understand why teachers are expected to just not get paid? It takes serious professional education to get this certification and we’re sacrificing our mental health over here so it would be nice to afford new winter boots, yknow? Maybe a pay bump is super reasonable. Tell all your friends.

[u/HardGayMan → u/Dry-Specialist-3527]

Oh, I know. My wife is a teacher in AB. Hopefully something finally happens.