 Good afternoon ATA Members Many questions have been asked of your elected officials and Teacher Employment Services. The purpose of this message is to share some Worth Knowings (WKs) that addresses many of these questions. If you feel the particular WK does not fully address your question or you are looking for clarification, don't hesitate to get in touch with Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208. The topics include:
To view all of the previous WKs, please click on this link to visit the Members Only Site.   Good afternoon ATA Members Many questions have been asked of your elected officials and Teacher Employment Services directly, and on social media, relating to possible arbitration and legislation as a potential outcome of the strike. The purpose of this message is to share a Worth Knowing (WK) that addresses these questions and provides members with the information they are requesting. If you feel the WK does not fully address your question or you are looking for clarification, don't hesitate to get in touch with Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208. The topics include: Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this challenging path together. To view all of the previous WKs, please click on this link to visit the Members Only Site.   Without employment income, members who lack significant savings may need to take steps to reduce financial pressures. Below are practical strategies and scripts to help you manage your finances during this challenging period. Make sure to download your pay statements from your division’s system before labour action begins at 12:01 AM on October 6. You may need to provide documentation of your finances for lenders and creditors. Short-Term Mortgage Relief Mortgage lenders and banks may offer short-term mortgage relief options, allowing clients to reduce or pause payments or to pay only the interest. Contact your mortgage lender to learn what options are available during periods of low or no income. Script: “Due to labour action, I am experiencing a temporary income interruption. I am requesting a mortgage relief arrangement, such as a payment deferral or interest-only payments, for [X] months. I can provide documentation upon request. Please advise on available options and next steps.” Hardship Programs from Creditors Contact your creditors (banks, vehicle loans, student loans, credit card companies) and ask about any hardship programs they may offer. Some may allow clients to delay payments or lower interest rates temporarily. Script: “Due to temporary hardship caused by labour action, can you reduce my rate or allow interest-only payments for [X] months?” Debt Consolidation Loan Get in touch with your bank about a debt consolidation loan to lower your monthly payments. Script: “I’m facing a temporary loss of income due to labour action. I would like to discuss options for consolidating my debts or adjusting my payment schedule to help manage my monthly obligations.” Payment Relief or Temporary Discontinuation of Service from Utility Providers Utility providers (power, gas, Internet, cellular) may offer temporary payment relief or permit the temporary discontinuation of service (without a fee for resuming the service). Make a list of your utility providers and contact each to find out what hardship relief options they can provide. Script: “I’m facing temporary income loss because of labour action. Can you set up a payment plan on my account to prevent disconnection?” Deferred Payment of Property Taxes Reach out to your municipality to discuss options for deferring the payment of your property taxes. Script: “I’m experiencing a temporary income loss due to labour action. I would like to know if there are options to defer or arrange payment of my property taxes during this period.” Payment Arrangements for Municipal Services If you are billed monthly by your municipality for water, sewer, garbage and similar services, contact the town or city office and ask to speak to the financial services department about options available for residents experiencing financial hardship. Script: “I’m facing a temporary loss of income due to labour action. Could you let me know if there are any payment arrangements or hardship programs available to help avoid service disruption?” Besides reaching out to lenders and service providers, you may find it useful to focus on essential spending for now. Prioritize necessities (such as housing, food, utilities and medications) and consider cutting back on or pausing discretionary costs (such as dining out, entertainment and travel) to better manage your finances during strike action. WORTH SHARING Labour action will start at 12:01 AM on October 6 and will affect all members financially. To lessen this impact, members are encouraged to review their finances now, download pay statements before labour action begins in order to keep a clear record for lenders and creditors, and contact service providers to discuss available hardship options. Questions? Contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208. #WeAreATA   Teachers may experience increased stress, anxiety or other challenges during strike action. It is important to know that all group health benefits, including the Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP) provided by all divisions, remain active and fully accessible throughout this period. The Association will assume the cost of maintaining teacher group health benefits for the duration of the labour action. These expenses will be covered through the Special Emergency Fund (SEF); however, members should be aware that this fund will need to be replenished through a process involving contributions from the membership. This will be determined after the strike. EFAP provides confidential support for members and their dependents through counselling, mental health resources and online cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression. These services aim to help teachers manage stress, maintain well-being and access support during the uncertainties of strike action. Teachers can also reach out to Teacher Employment Services (TES) at 1-800-232-7208 if they need assistance. All calls are kept confidential. TES has expertise in benefit plans including EFAP and is prepared to help you access support. If you are unable to call TES, please review the resources below, which may help you. • If you are in distress and suffering a mental health crisis, call or text 9-8-8. This number is available 24/7 in both English and French and is available anywhere in Canada. • Your group health benefits, provided in your collective agreement, include resources such as psychological services and the EFAP. o If ASEBP is your group health benefits provider, GreenShield+ offers the EFAP (at https://app.greenshieldplus.ca/signin or by calling 1-877-431-4786). To create a GreenShield+ account so you can start using your EFAP benefits, you’ll need: 1. Your ASEBP ID number. Find it on MyASEBP (at https://my.asebp.ca/login). 2. Your employer’s organization code. If you don’t know the code, contact an ASEBP benefits specialist at 1-877-431-4786. 3. Use your personal e-mail address when setting up your account. o For Calgary Public Teachers, the EFAP is offered through TELUS Health (at https://one.telushealth.com or by calling 1-833-754-3702). o For Calgary Catholic Teachers, EFAP support is provided by the employer (on the District Intranet, go to Departments > Human Resources > Employee Benefits, then select the Employee & Family Assistance Program subheading or call the EFAP administrator at 403-500-2774). o For Fort McMurray Catholic Teachers, the EFAP is offered through Homewood Health (at https://homewoodpathfinder.com/employee-assistance-program/ or by calling 1-844-959-2917). WORTH SHARING During strike action, your group health benefits remain fully active and accessible. This includes EFAP services—counselling, mental health support, and digital programs—which are available to all covered members and their dependents. These resources are designed to help teachers manage the added stress, financial pressures and emotional challenges that can arise during a strike, ensuring support is available exactly when it’s needed most. Questions? Contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208. #WeAreATA   Teachers may experience internal conflict during strike action, especially regarding their duty to student learning. It’s natural for teachers to want to support students directly, but members must remember that strike action is a collective effort aimed at protecting working conditions for all teachers, which ultimately benefits students, as well. Individual actions that bypass the strike can weaken collective efforts. Guidance for Teachers • Regardless of labour action, teachers should never tutor (for money) students they currently teach. Doing so would create a perception problem (since they are already being paid for instruction) and could also lead to an Alberta Teaching Profession Commission complaint. • During the strike, teachers may continue to pursue alternative income opportunities, such as tutoring students they don’t teach. However, taking on additional tutoring clients during a strike is bad optics and may extend the strike, since it prevents parents and students from seeing the full impact of the labour action. • Setting up a tutoring service to generate extra income during a strike raises similar concerns. • Members may experience financial pressures during a strike. While understandable, depending on the use of familiar skill sets to earn income might hinder collective efforts and prolong the strike. WORTH SHARING To be effective, strike action depends on the collective commitment of all members. The Alberta Teachers’ Association recommends that individual teachers avoid taking actions that could weaken collective effort or extend the strike. This includes tutoring students they currently teach, setting up tutoring services for students during the strike or significantly expanding side work in ways that make the strike less visible to parents and the public. While financial pressures during a strike are real and understandable, members must carefully consider how their personal decisions affect the collective effort. Staying united ensures that the strike meets its goals and protects the interests of all teachers across the province. Read the full Worth Knowing. Questions? Contact Teacher Employment Services at 1-800-232-7208. #WeAreATA  |
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