A potential teacher strike in St. Paul has been averted says the Alberta Teachers Association. The St. Paul Educational Regional Division #1 Board of Trustees and the Alberta Teachers Association, Greater St. Paul #25 announced in a joint press release Thursday that a contract agreement has been reached between the two groups. Back in December, teachers had voted to consider a strike during their contract negotiations.
In the release, ATA Local President Connie Landsiedel says teachers took a vote on February 4th.
“On Monday, February 4, the teachers of SPERD voted overwhelmingly in favour (92%) to accept the memorandum of agreement. I was very impressed by the number of teachers who braved the cold
weather to come out and hear the presentation and then cast their vote. At the meeting, teachers spoke about the difficult economic situation facing many of our communities and their desire to reach a fair settlement without taking job action. Overall, what is important is that our students did not lose out on any time in the classroom.”
St. Paul Education Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept the agreement at their regular board meeting on Wednesday. Board Chair Heather Starosielski says the agreement looks out for the students as well as the teachers.
“The new two-tier bargaining model presented some challenges for both parties. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank our community and stakeholders for their patience throughout this negotiation process. We trust we have reached a fair deal with our teachers that takes into account the best interests of our students, the communities we serve, and the constraints of our budget.”