The deadline for school boards and local bargaining groups to accept the province-wide framework deal between the Province and Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) is looming.
With less than a month left, teachers and school boards in Golden Hills and Prairie Land Regional Divisions have yet to ratify the deal.
Teachers in the area will be meeting shortly to discuss the deal.
“Right now, we have a general meeting with teachers on April 26. We’ll be putting the deal with the province on the table for our teachers to vote on,” said Steve Wiewel, chair of the Three Drums of Wheat No. 20 teachers' association.
Teachers in Prairie Land will be meeting just prior to the deadline on May 8.
“The teachers in Prairie Land will be able to express their opinions on the framework and to accept it or reject it,” said Doug Lerke, chair of Prairie Land No. 36.
The four year framework deal freezes wages for three years and then, in the final year, gives teachers a two per cent wage increase and a lump sum payment.
School divisions were left playing catch-up after the deal was announced. The Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA), was not involved in negotiating the deal. Prairie Land had a representative from Alberta Education go through the deal with them.
“In terms of the framework, the board wasn’t totally clear on all the terms of the agreement,” said Wes Neumeier, superintendent of Prairie Land Regional Division.
“There are a few key areas they wanted clarification on; the definition of instructional time and making sure it’s clear on what’s included and what’s not, the workload committee and the work involved in that, we’re being told to cut 10 per cent of adminstration costs, the grievance and appeal process, and the exceptions committee and how it would function.”
Golden Hills is taking the time until the deadline to research the deal and consider its possible effects.
“They’re (the board) still looking at the details of the agreement and there are still a number of questions on those details. The ASBA was not included in the process to reach this deal, so we’re playing catch-up to understand what’s in it,” said Bevan Daverne, superintendent of Golden Hills School Division. “I think our board is eager to use that time to be considerate about what the deal might mean.”
The deal comes after the province had announced an impasse with the ATA and turned the bargaining process over to local school divisions. Each division was tasked with negotiating their own deals with teachers. Then, in March it was announced the Government of Alberta and ATA had reached a deal, without the ASBA.
The last step will be for the local teachers’ associations and school boards to meet.
“When it is accepted, we’ll still have to sit down with our local board and discuss areas not covered by the deal,” said Wiewell. “There are a number of areas that don’t deal with work load issues and salary issues.”
The deadline to accept the deal set by the province is May 13.
