TAXPAYERS: Smith is doing the right thing compensating parents during teachers strike

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding the Alberta government for using the savings incurred during a potential teachers’ strike to help parents cover childcare costs.

“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is doing the right thing by committing to paying parents to cover childcare costs during a potential teachers’ strike,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “British Columbia paid parents for their childcare costs during a teachers strike and it helped thousands of families.

“Students and parents are the people who are hurt in a teachers’ strike and they’re the ones who need help.”

The Alberta government was offering Alberta teachers a 12 per cent pay hike over four years. It also committed to hire 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 new classroom assistants.

In a news conference today, Smith stated:

“A category five teacher at the top of the pay grid would make $114,800 a year in 2027, that is roughly $107,000 after provincial taxes. That’s the best in Western Canada, in a province with lower taxes and no sales taxes. It’s also higher than in British Columbia where we know the cost of living is much higher.”

Alberta teachers rejected this government offer in a vote Monday night with 89.5 per cent voting against the deal.

Alberta government school teachers received a pay hike of two per cent in 2023 and a 1.25 per cent increase the year previous.

This year, Alberta taxpayers are projected to spend $10.4 billion on K-12 education. The year before that, the bill for taxpayers was $9.2 billion. That’s a 13 per cent spending increase on K-12 education.

The province of Alberta is on track to have a $84.3 billion debt by the end of the year.

“Alberta teachers need to ask themselves if their pay, workplaces, time off and secure jobs are so bad compared to what many other working people face in our province,” said Sims. “Taxpayers are tapped-out and they are not willing to hand even more money over to this government union.”