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Mediation: Round Two The Central Table Bargaining Committee (CTBC) met with Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) representatives and the mediator from January 29 to 30, 2025, to continue mediation. Discussions between CTBC and TEBA are positive, solution-focused discussions and, as a result, the embargo on information will continue. While specific details cannot be disclosed, your CTBC is committed to a settlement that instills hope in teachers, aiming to prevent further decline in working conditions in the short term and enhance them in the future. The parties signed off on language on aggression and violence in classrooms, addressing a key concern for teachers. Along with increases in compensation, these are critical aspects of finding a path forward for teachers. The challenge the parties have encountered relates to the provincial government’s budgeting timelines. The province is expected to table its 2025 budget at the end of February. This timeline may affect our capacity to formulate a viable offer from the mediation process as it is challenging to achieve the necessary level of specificity to assess the feasibility of any concepts discussed in mediation without confirmed funding figures from the budget. Once budget amounts are provided to CTBC, we will re-evaluate the embargo as well as the viability of mediation going forward. Both the English and French versions of the Central Strike FAQ documents are posted on the bargaining update page. Members of your CTBC will be attending Teachers’ Conventions throughout the province. Teachers are encouraged to stop by the ATA table to chat. Scan the QR code available at the table for access to the ATA’s Member Conviction and Opinion Survey. WORTH SHARING The second round of mediation resulted in positive discussions and sign off on language on aggression and violence in classrooms. Once the province tables its 2025 budget and those amounts are provided to CTBC, the embargo as well as the viability of mediation going forward will be re-evaluated. CTBC will be attending Teachers’ Conventions throughout the province. We thank members for your support through social media postings. Continue to wear Red for Ed. #WeAreATA
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WORTH KNOWING Intimate Partner Violence Intimate partner violence (IPV), also known as spousal or domestic violence, is a global issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It encompasses a wide range of harmful behaviours, including physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and economic abuse, inflicted by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. The harm caused by IPV often extends beyond immediate injuries, leaving long-lasting scars on survivors’ mental health, sense of security and overall well-being. IPV is a complex issue that does not discriminate based on gender, age or background. It can affect individuals of all demographics, highlighting the need for a nuanced understanding of it. This understanding should acknowledge how systemic inequalities and intersecting identities can influence individuals’ experiences of and responses to violence. The reach of IPV extends beyond physical space. While it often occurs within the perceived privacy of homes, it also manifests in public settings and, increasingly, through digital platforms. Online abuse, such as cyberstalking, harassment and the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images, has become an alarming dimension of IPV in the digital age. These forms of abuse blur the lines between public and private spheres, always leaving survivors vulnerable to harm and further complicating their path to safety and justice. Efforts to address IPV must recognize its complexity and intersectionality. This understanding is crucial for designing effective interventions that include legal protection, access to safe housing, trauma-informed support services, public education to challenge cultural norms that perpetuate violence, and resources tailored to the unique needs of diverse communities. IPV can occur in a variety of relationship contexts and is not limited to traditional or narrowly defined partnerships. It can occur within marriages, common-law unions or dating relationships, highlighting its prevalence across diverse relational dynamics. IPV does not discriminate based on gender identity, sexual orientation or relationship structure; any individual can be affected. It can arise at any relationship stage, whether during its early phases, throughout its duration or even after the relationship has ended. Additionally, IPV is not contingent on partners living together or being sexually intimate, underscoring that the risk of harm exists in a wide range of circumstances and relationship arrangements. This breadth demonstrates the pervasive nature of IPV and reinforces the need for inclusive approaches to prevent it and provide support for all survivors. It also encompasses a wide range of harmful behaviours, often used to exert control and instill fear. Forms of IPV include coercive control, where an abuser dominates a partner’s life through manipulation and threats, and criminal harassment or stalking, involving obsessive, unwanted behaviours like monitoring or following. Emotional and psychological abuse erodes self-esteem, while financial abuse restricts access to money or resources, creating dependence. Physical abuse involves direct harm, while reproductive coercion manipulates reproductive choices. Sexual violence, spiritual abuse and technology-facilitated violence, such as cyberstalking or nonconsensual image sharing, further highlight the multifaceted nature of IPV. If you are experiencing IPV, support is available. Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member or counsellor. You can also contact the police or local victim services unit for shelter, legal help or emotional support. If you witness IPV, you can help by contacting the victim and offering resources, reporting the incident to authorities or seeking advice from someone you trust to provide safe and effective support. Together, we can work to address IPV and create safer communities. Resources are available to support those affected by intimate partner violence:
Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to harm or violence caused by a former or current intimate partner or spouse. IPV may include various forms of control, coercion, violence or abuse. If you or someone you know is experiencing IPV, support and resources are available. If you have questions about the resources available through your group health benefits, contact your benefits provider or call Teacher Employment Services for advice. In the Edmonton area, call 1‑800‑232‑7208, and in the Calgary area, call 1-800-332-1280. #WeAreATA All teachers represented by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (Association) in public, separate and francophone schools are covered by the same instructional and assignable time language in their collective agreements. There is a maximum of 1,200 hours of assignable time, with 916 of those hours being the maximum instructional time in a school year.
Teachers may have more instructional or assigned time (such as supervision or parent–teacher meetings) in one semester or term than in another. However, the total assignable time (including total instructional time) must not exceed 1,200 hours by the end of the year. The Association and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) have an understanding that teachers do not need to make up time away on an hour-for-hour basis. In other words, if a teacher is away from classroom duties on an approved leave or for a professional development day, they do not owe the employer those instructional hours. However, the teacher may be responsible for decisions made or work arising during those absences, which might require additional time. For example, if a teacher is on sick leave and cannot attend parent–teacher interviews, the teacher is still responsible for reporting to parents. Some creativity on the part of the teacher may be needed to meet this expectation. At the heart of this understanding is the belief that time that has already been worked cannot be removed. For example, lieu days (or any nonoperational days), typically given for time spent conducting evening work, such as parent–teacher interviews, cannot be utilized to subtract time from what a teacher has already worked. Time assigned for teachers to fill staffing gaps by providing instruction or additional supervision also needs to be counted. School leaders may give this time back to teachers when a substitute teacher is available to cover their class. However, this time cannot be subtracted from hours worked; rather, the time is paused. When the teacher resumes their duties, time continues to be added again. If we think about a clock as a measure of time worked or earned, each hour of instructional or assignable time moves the hands clockwise as time is added. The hands cannot move in reverse to subtract time, but the hands can stop, preventing the further addition of time. Thus, as we approach the half-way point of this school year, teachers are reminded to keep track of their time and monitor how their time is earned or added. Teachers who project that they may go over the maximum allotted time should have a conversation with their principal to review their time calculations. The sooner a resolution is sought to handle the potential overage, the more options will be available. The language in the collective agreement does not allow for compensation if a teacher exceeds the maximum allotted hours, so it is important for teachers to be proactive if they anticipate that they may surpass their instructional hours and/or assignable hours. Teacher Employment Services will be presenting a session on “Counting Time” at each of the upcoming teachers’ conventions. The session will provide teachers and school leaders with information on calculating assignable and instructional hours. WORTH SHARING Calculating instructional and assignable time is nuanced. Attending the session on “Counting Time” at teachers’ conventions may further clarify questions teachers may have. Extra time worked cannot be subtracted, but the clock can be stopped. If you need help calculating your time or interpreting clause language, contact Teacher Employment Services. #WeAreATA By now, teachers have received this week’s Bargaining Update. The update reminds teachers that the Central Table Bargaining Committee (CTBC) will meet with representatives of the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) for mediation January 15–17, January 29–30 and March 19–20.
As indicated in the update, initial discussions with the mediator will determine whether mediation discussions will be embargoed. The intent of an embargo is to preserve the integrity of conversations and the parties’ willingness to problem solve. At this point, we do not know what the outcome of those discussions will be, but we want to make members aware. As the process continues, members may have questions surrounding job action should mediation not be successful. We have amalgamated all the questions that have come our way in a Central Strike FAQ document. You can access this document on the Bargaining Update page of the website here. Both English and French documents are available. The CTBC will advise members if an embargo is implemented as soon as we know. We will also provide bargaining updates to the best of our ability. Please wear red on mediation days to show your support for your bargaining team. Also, ensure that you have provided your contact information, including your home e-mail address, to your school representative. This information will be needed for future voting related to bargaining and is a requirement of the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Also, in light of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) job action in Edmonton Public Schools, Sturgeon Schools, and Fort McMurray Catholic and Public Schools, members may have questions about their roles and responsibilities in the absence of school support staff. The Association’s monograph Teachers and Educational Assistants: Roles and Responsibilities may assist with answers. WORTH SHARING The CTBC is headed to mediation January 15–17, January 29–30 and March 19–20. Please continue to show solidarity and support, stay connected, and stay involved through Facebook (The Alberta Teachers’ Association) and Instagram (@abteachers). Show your solidarity with your colleagues and your support for the CTBC by wearing Red for Ed on mediation days. #WeAreATA WORTH KNOWING
Collective Bargaining Update #4 The Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Central Table Bargaining Committee (CTBC) was scheduled to meet with representatives of the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) on December 12 and 13, 2024. Sadly, a member of TEBA’s committee experienced a family tragedy, and the meeting was cancelled. This decision was not made lightly. However, the cancellation is not a significant issue, given where the parties are in the process and the fact that mediation is forthcoming. The parties have confirmed January 15–17 and January 29–30, 2025, as dates for mediation and are attempting to schedule additional dates. To provide members with information about mediation, Member Information Meetings (MiMs) occurred November 18–20, 2024. The MiMs were recorded for members who were unable to attend. The recordings are available in English and French on the Bargaining Updates 2024 page. While the live Q&A portion has been omitted from the recordings, an FAQ was created and is also posted on this page. The FAQ contains responses to all questions raised during the MiMs. Once mediation begins, the mediator may require the parties to embargo all information in order to preserve the integrity of the conversations and the willingness to problem solve. This is not uncommon. Most recently, it occurred during the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) informal mediation. If an information embargo is required, the CTBC will advise members and provide bargaining updates to the best of our ability. WORTH SHARING Reach out to three teachers and ensure that they received this update. If they didn’t, help them sign up for bargaining and member updates. Members should ensure that they have given their contact information (including a personal e-mail address) to their school representative/CSR/COR/local council member. This information is required by the Alberta Labour Relations Board for voting related to bargaining. If the Association does not have a personal e-mail address for members, those members will be unable to vote on possible labour action. Please continue to stay connected and involved through Facebook (@ABteachers) and Instagram (@abteachers). Show solidarity with your colleagues and support the CTBC by wearing Red for Ed on mediation days. The first mediation dates are January 15–17, 2025. #WeAreATA |
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Updates from ATA ProvincialArchives
February 2025
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