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5h ago

Teachers Return Across Alberta After Bill 2 as Labour Plans Resistance

Unions are organizing toward a possible general strike following the government's use of the notwithstanding clause.

James Fowler High School students in Calgary head back to class after the end of the teachers strike on October 29, 2025. The province forced striking teachers back to the classroom with legislation on Tuesday.
Teachers returned to classrooms for the first time since going on strike Oct. 6.
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File photo: Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (right) and Premier Peter Lougheed meet in Trudeau’s Parliament Hill office in 1981.

Overview

  • Roughly 740,000 to 750,000 students and about 51,000 teachers went back to class Wednesday as schools restarted after a three-week shutdown.
  • Bill 2 imposes a four-year agreement with a 12% wage increase, commitments to hire 3,000 teachers and 1,500 educational assistants, and no class-size caps, with the terms locked in until 2028.
  • The law includes penalties for defiance of up to $500 per individual per day and up to $500,000 per day for the union.
  • The Alberta Teachers’ Association says members will comply with the back-to-work order and not engage in work-to-rule, while pursuing legal options and criticizing the rights override.
  • Alberta Federation of Labour leaders launched a campaign toward a potential general strike with no immediate walkout or timeline, as school boards prioritize core instruction and November diploma exams were made optional.