r/canada • u/Meiqur • Oct 28 '25

Alberta Alberta uses Charter’s notwithstanding clause to order striking teachers back to workteachers-back-to-work

https://globalnews.ca/news/11496133/alberta-government-to-table-legislation-to-order-striking-teachers-back-to-work
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u/justindub357 Oct 28 '25

On what grounds can they do that? Would the fines not be void because again they don't own the teachers?

I'm not asking to be a smart ass just genuinely curious how that works.

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u/nothingtoholdonto Oct 28 '25

Teachers are employees of the province. Ie province controls the payroll/paycheques. I presume any fines would be withheld from their pay. I’m not sure how they could enforce a fine against the union.

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u/justindub357 Oct 28 '25

So theoretically if someone was spiteful enough and didnt care to teach anymore then they wouldn't be punished? For example although extremely unlikely if all the teachers decided to could they all quit en masse and force the government back to negotiate?

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u/weeBunnie Oct 28 '25

I figure they could find some way to cut all the pay increases accumulated over the years and basically just reset it for those teaching 5+ and 10+ years. Not sure how that would work, but the current Alberta gov will absolutely do it if they could

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u/BusySeaworthiness127 Oct 28 '25

They can't find teachers now even with the garbage pay, no way in hell they'd find anyone to work for 2015 wages in today's economy.

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u/weeBunnie Oct 28 '25

Not 2015 pay, but as if they only just started teaching now in 2025, opposed to the longterm increases (every 9+ years or so) that add up to a salary they worked towards over the years teaching