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EDMONTON — Alberta’s bargaining committee has issued a lockout notice to 51,000 striking teachers, marking the latest escalation in a historic labour dispute that has closed schools across the province and left more than 730,000 students out of class.
The Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association, which represents school boards in talks with the Alberta Teachers’ Association, said the lockout will take effect Thursday at 1 p.m. The move follows the first provincewide teachers’ strike in Alberta’s history, which began Monday after teachers rejected a second tentative contract offer.
The rejected deal included a proposed 12 per cent wage increase over four years, the creation of a $405-million fund to address class size and classroom complexity, and government commitments to fund 3,000 new teaching positions and 1,500 educational assistants by 2028. Teachers voted overwhelmingly against the offer, saying it failed to address overcrowded classrooms, rising workloads and salaries that have not kept pace with inflation.
A strike is initiated by employees who stop working to press for better contract terms, while a lockout is initiated by employers to legally prevent employees from working or being paid during a dispute. In this case, teachers are already on strike, so the lockout does not change their day-to-day status. However, the Alberta government said the measure was issued as a precaution to prevent the union from changing tactics without notice, for example by ending the strike unexpectedly and attempting to return to work while negotiations are still unresolved.
The ATA said the lockout, while legally restricting teachers from working or receiving pay, does not alter their current status since they are already off the job. The association continues to hold discussions with the employer group, which negotiates on behalf of the province and Alberta’s 61 school boards.
In a statement, TEBA said the lockout was a “reactive” step to ensure predictability for parents and students, arguing it was necessary to bring the labour disruption to a swift conclusion. The bargaining committee said it remains committed to negotiations to get students back in class as soon as possible.
The provincial government has announced temporary support measures for families, including a $30 daily payment for children 12 and under affected by school closures, increased child-care subsidies, and free access for youth to provincial museums and historic sites. An online toolkit of lessons has also been posted to help parents and students during the strike.
The contract between Alberta teachers and their employers expired in August 2024. Talks have since stalled over class size limits, staffing levels and compensation, with the government maintaining it cannot fund both significant wage increases and class-size reductions within its current budget.
Rallies in support of teachers drew thousands across Alberta over the weekend as both sides remain at an impasse in a dispute that has disrupted classrooms, strained families and left uncertainty about when students will return to school.
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