Release Date: December 1, 2020
Negotiations resumed Monday, November 30th between the Wetaskiwin School Division (the Employer) and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (the teachers’ union) located in Edmonton. Both sides last met on November 2, 2020, when the teachers’ union instructed the mediator to end the mediation process. Accordingly, the mediator issued the requested letter to the teachers’ union and the Employer on November 5th.
The Employer’s bargaining committee was surprised at the teachers’ union’s sudden conclusion of the mediation process.
With the mediator ending the mediation process, under provincial legislation, the mandatory fourteen (14) day cooling-off period under legislation began and the pathway was opened by the teachers’ union to take a government-supervised strike vote once the cooling-off period expired.
The teachers’ union held a bargaining unit general meeting on November 12th to gauge teachers’ support for the teachers’ union to apply to government to approve the taking of a government-supervised strike vote. At this point, no application has been made by the teachers’ union.
The November 30th bargaining meeting progressed well with both parties reducing their bargaining positions down to where only two items (substitute teachers and professional development) remained unresolved. The Employer bargaining committee believes both sides have a mutual interest to finalize the two remaining items.
The Employer bargaining committee awaits an invitation from the teachers’ union to resume talks. In the meantime, the Employer will turn its attention to contingency planning to address the planned strike action by the teachers’ union.
Contact:
Mr. Peter Barron
Superintendent of Schools, The Wetaskiwin School Division
Phone: (780) 352-6018