ATA DEAL – Two-year wage freeze in tentative teacher contract

Alberta Teachers Associations’ president Mark Ramsankar is confirming the ATA’s bargaining unit has agreed in contract talks to a two-year wage freeze, subject to ratification by the membership.

“There’s no compensation increase in this round,” Ramsankar told the News on Thursday. “Teachers understand where we are (with the provincial economy), and the main focus they were looking at was the concept of time, and improving conditions and practice so they can do the work they need to do with Alberta children.”

The government did provide concessions in bargaining around assigned time, agreeing to a provincial limit on how much time teachers can be made to attend meetings, teach courses, training and carry out other duties by local school boards.

According to the Edmonton Journal, confirmed by Ramsankar when asked, the provincial government has also agreed to provide a substantial “classroom improvement fund,” totalling about $75-million.

Ramsankar says the deal will now be sent back to members for their vote. He feels the ATA and government found common ground, at least for the next two years.

“The upside of this round is we had clearly defined parameters, and we chatted directly with government and school boards at the central table. That made quite a significant difference under this new (bargaining) format.”

Ramsankar credits the good will on both sides to the government’s concrete actions to support education in Alberta.

“The have funded for growth (in the cohort); they have made that commitment. And they are putting money into capital projects. That is important. They are not just announcing, they are acting. We have had a tough row to hoe going down this path (with central bargaining), but we are going in the right direction,” says Ramsankar.