TEACHERS DEMAND CHANGE
Call for immediate funding boost
EDMONTON The union representing Alberta teachers passed resolutions Thursday calling for immediate funding to school boards for more staff, including public health nurses, and urging the government to reverse its pension plan changes.
Meeting via zoom amid the COVID -19 pandemic, representatives at the annual assembly voted to urge government to take more action on school re-entry plans and reverse the planned transfer of teacher pension investment fund management to the Alberta Investment Management Corp. (AIMCO).
Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling said in his opening speech the government’s re-entry plan falls short on addressing funding and safety concerns, including clarification on cohorting, social distancing and class size — making it “a plan that is not really much of a plan after all.”
The government has defended its reopening plan, saying it has the buy-in of school board superintendents and chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw.
But the assembly called for a new consultation body to do better by including representatives of teachers, parents, superintendents, trustees, Alberta Health Services and Alberta Education.
“We are fighting for the future of our profession and for our students,” Schilling said.
The assembly also voted to urge the government to repeal Bill 22, which the UCP government passed in November to move investment control of roughly $18 billion in assets to AIMCO from the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF) by December 2021.
Southwest district representative Katherine Pritchard introduced the resolution. “We won’t let this issue go away,” she said.
Rod Matheson, chief executive of ATRF, said an investment management agreement is being negotiated to ensure transparency in how AIMCO manages ATRF’S investment fund.
However, when pressed on whether or not the ATRF board had any power to stop losses such as AIMCO’S recent $2.1 billion loss, Matheson said there are limits.
“We don’t have the power people have when they hire an investment manager, which is to fire them if you’re not happy with it. We don’t have that ability,” said Matheson.
ATRF chief investment officer Derek Brodersen said the ATRF will be able to see AIMCO’S trading activity, but not monitor day-today moves in real time.
“So to the extent that they’re executing on investment strategies that we don’t think are appropriate we will certainly have the opportunity to voice our discontent,” said Brodersen.
In an interview, Schilling said teachers are deeply offended by the planned pension changes and how they were introduced.
“It was such an act of disrespect, that struck such a heavy chord in teachers, it’s really hard for them to get over,” he said.
The assembly also voted to condemn the government cutting $128 million in April at the start of the pandemic while classes were cancelled, which led to the temporary layoffs of over 25,000 educational assistants, support staff, bus drivers and substitute teachers.
That provincial funding was later restored, but budget restrictions forced the permanent layoffs of more than 600 Edmonton Public Schools full-time equivalents — and 137 at Edmonton Catholic.
The resolution calls for the government to restore lost positions as part of the re-entry strategy.
Schilling said those laid-off teachers can be put back to work to help alleviate local “pressure points,” or large classes, including splitting classes to allow for better physical distancing.