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Alberta to Fast-Track Bill to End Teachers’ Strike on Monday

The decision follows three weeks of closures driven by a bargaining impasse over wages and class-size protections.

Protest signs outside the Alberta Teachers' Association in Edmonton on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken
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Alberta teachers and their supporters rally outside the Alberta Legislature, in Edmonton Thursday Oct. 23, 2025.
A student joins a protest in support of pay for teachers and funding for schools at the Alberta Legislature, on Sept. 22.

Overview

  • Premier Danielle Smith said Thursday her government will introduce Bill 2, the Back to School Act, to mandate a return to classrooms.
  • The legislature’s order paper confirms Bill 2 will move through all stages in a single day under Standing Order 77(2), with one hour of debate per stage.
  • About 51,000 teachers have been on strike since Oct. 6, keeping roughly 750,000 students out of class across 2,500 schools.
  • ATA president Jason Schilling said the union anticipated possible legislation and will review the bill to determine next steps, while the NDP pledged procedural resistance but noted the UCP majority.
  • Talks remain stalled over class-size caps and classroom complexity, and teachers earlier rejected a government offer described as a 12% raise over four years plus hiring commitments.