Statement from the President of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, Larry Booi on the good faith agreement between the Government of Alberta, the Alberta Teachers' Association and the Alberta School Boards Association
Teachers today will be very pleased that their Association has been able to cooperate with government and the Alberta School Boards Association to arrive at an agreement that addresses some important concerns of our members and that will allow us to work together in the best interests of students and public education. I want to publicly commend the government on its decision to seek constructive solutions and to take the steps necessary to address serious issues related to the current dispute.
This agreement will go a long way towards restoring teachers’ confidence in the potential for the arbitration process to result in fair collective agreements. To begin with, under this agreement teachers will now have the right to bring to arbitration arguments and evidence relating to specific classroom conditions. We also have confirmed that teachers and boards are free to conclude agreements relating to classroom conditions as long as these are outside collective agreements. As well, this agreement will provide the arbitration tribunal with the opportunity to exercise greater latitude with respect to financial matters.
Teachers will also appreciate the government’s willingness to pay our members’ portion of the pension fund’s unfunded liability for the 2002/03 school year. We look forward to future consultation with government and are optimistic that we will ultimately resolve this long-standing issue.
In response to these undertakings, the ATA is recommending to teachers that they end their withdrawal of voluntary services to school boards. Furthermore, we are inviting qualified teachers to consider marking diploma examinations once again. I am confident that teacher’s renewed participation in these activities will go a long way toward restoring the positive climate of cooperation and service that has characterized our school culture and that we must not take for granted.
I want to emphasize that this agreement is not a comprehensive solution, but it is a good start. There is still much work to be done — in the arbitration process, through collective bargaining, before the Education Review Commission and in our school communities. We hope that this agreement represents a turning point, and will initiate further cooperation between teachers, school boards and government in the interests of students and public education.
For more information contact: Michele Mulder, ASBA President at 1.780.679.5627 (cell).
The Alberta School Boards Association serves and represents all Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards.
