Chapman and Wright respond to impending teachers’ strike
Amanda Chapman and Peggy Wright, Alberta New Democrat Shadow Ministers for Education and Labour, issued the following statements in response to the impending teachers’ strike:
“Teachers deserve support, resources, and respect; every student deserves the chance to thrive; and parents deserve to know their kids are getting the best education possible. Right now, that's not happening because of decisions made by this UCP government.
“Under the UCP government, Alberta has the lowest per-student education funding in the country, and it shows. Classrooms are overcrowded, and teachers are being stretched to the breaking point trying to meet increasingly complex student needs with shrinking government support.
“Despite all of this, teachers continue to show up every single day, giving everything they have to support our kids. They deserve a government that supports them in return, not one that underfunds education and pushes them toward strike action.
“We stand with Alberta’s teachers.
“Our students deserve better, and so do the people who help them learn, grow, and succeed.”
- Amanda Chapman, Alberta New Democrat Shadow Minister for Education
“Teachers in Alberta are raising serious concerns about their working conditions, concerns that the UCP government has ignored for years.
“This is a government that has shown time and time again they do not stand with workers. By starving our most critical systems, the UCP government is pushing workers to the brink and leaving them no choice but to strike.
“If the Minister truly respected the important work teachers do, he’d return to the bargaining table—not to posture, but to listen and respond to what teachers are saying. That’s what respect for workers looks like.
“Teachers aren’t just standing up for themselves, they’re standing up for their students, for our schools, and for the future of public education. Alberta’s New Democrats stand with them.”
- Peggy Wright, Alberta New Democrat Shadow Minister for Labour