ATA Strike to Begin October 6th

For information on how this will impact school operations, click below.

Strike Action Updates

Strike Action Updates

ATA Strike to Begin October 6th

Update – September 29, 2025
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has completed its ratification process.

  • Ratification results:
    • Yes: 10.5%
    • No: 89.5%

As a result, the Memorandum of Agreement is not ratified by teachers.What this means for families:
The ATA will commence a full strike beginning Monday, October 6, 2025. This strike will apply to all school sites across the Division.

Impact on School Operations

Effective Monday, October 6, 2025:

  • Kindergarten to Grade 12: All classes will be suspended.
  • Pre-Kindergarten programming: Will continue as scheduled.
  • Transportation services (K–12): Will be suspended.
  • Extracurricular activities: Suspended for the duration of the job action.

We recognize this creates challenges for families and encourage you to make contingency arrangements for childcare and household planning.

Sturgeon Public’s Role

  • Sturgeon Public School Division is not directly involved in negotiations.
  • Teacher salaries and working conditions are set through provincial collective agreements, not individual school boards.
  • The Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) represents the Government of Alberta and all public, separate, and Francophone school boards, including Sturgeon Public, in this process.
  • TEBA has applied for and received authority for a lockout vote as a response measure to strike action. This does not have an immediate effect on operations.

Positions Impacted

  • Teachers
  • Substitute Teachers
  • Principals and Vice Principals
  • Central Office Staff who are ATA Members:
    • Division Principal
    • Director of Learning Services
    • Director of Education
    • Coordinator, Curriculum
    • Coordinator, Indigenous Education

Timeline

  • September 29, 2025
    • ATA completes ratification vote. Agreement rejected by teachers (Yes: 10.5%, No: 89.5%). Full strike action will commence beginning October 6, 2025.
  • September 24, 2025
    • The ATA and the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) reached a tentative agreement based on shared priorities. Members will vote on the agreement in the coming days. 
  • September 18, 2025
    • TEBA and the ATA met in a Labour Relations Board resolution conference to discuss TEBA’s unfair labour practice complaint. The parties were able to reach a consent order, which reflects an agreement by the parties to resolve the complaint.
  • September 15, 2025
    • Alberta Labour Relations Board receives bad faith bargaining complaint from the Teachers' Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) affecting The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA). 
  • September 12, 2025
    • Sturgeon Public Schools receives official strike notice from the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), through the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA)
  • September 10, 2025
    • ATA announces intention to begin strike action on October 6, 2025, if no settlement is reached.
  • September 2, 2025
    • TEBA's lockout vote was validated by the Labour Relations Board.
  • August 29, 2025 (late afternoon)
    • Lockout poll results will be filed with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) by TEBA. 
  • August 26-29, 2025
    • Formal mediation between TEBA and the ATA is continuing. 
  • August 5, 2025
    • Application for lockout poll filed by TEBA. Lockout authority ensures that TEBA and school boards have the ability to respond to strike action that can make it challenging for school boards to protect students and families.
  • Summer 2025
    • TEBA and ATA have additional meetings scheduled, as needed. 
  • June 10, 2025
    • ATA reported that 94.5% of members voted in favour of strike action. The ATA has 120 days from the date of the vote to commence labour action, unless a resolution is reached between TEBA and the ATA. 
  • June 5-8, 2025
    • ATA holds a strike vote. 
  • May 28, 2025
    • ATA announces the results of the Strike Authorization Vote.  ATA reported that 99.45% of those participating in the vote voted in favour of authorizing the ATA to apply for an official strike vote.
  • May 22-26, 2025
    • A strike authorization vote was held by the ATA.
  • May 2-5, 2025
    • ATA members voted on the mediator’s recommendation.  The ATA voted against the mediator’s recommendation. A 14-day cooling-off period begins.
  • March 28, 2025
  • January-March 2025
    • TEBA and ATA began mediation on January 15, 2024.  TEBA and ATA continued with mediation on January 16, 17 and January 29, 30 and again on March 19, 20, 2025.
  • November 14, 2024
    • Mediator appointed. 
  • May 16, 2024
    • Central negotiations commenced. (Teachers' Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA))  with ATA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are schools closed?

Schools will be closed to K–12 students starting Monday, October 6, 2025. Pre-K programming will continue at this time.

Students in K–12 will not attend school in person or online. There will be no instruction, supervision, or extracurricular activities. K–12 student transportation services are also suspended until the strike is over, while Pre-K transportation will continue.

All K–12 students should take home their personal belongings this week.

Can I contact my child’s teacher or the school office during the strike?

Teachers will not be responding to emails or inquiries on other platforms during the strike. For urgent matters, parents are encouraged to contact the Division Office at (780) 939-4341 or by email at reception@sturgeon.ab.ca.

All important updates will be shared with families by email and posted on the Division website.

What is SPS’ role in the negotiation process?

SPS is not directly involved in this phase of teacher bargaining at the provincial level, and maintains a positive relationship with The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) representing Alberta’s teachers, and The Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA). 

Are the Provincial Achievement Tests cancelled?

At this time, PAT schedules remain status quo. We will be waiting on Alberta Education's direction for this, if there is a change to the PAT schedule, we will notify families. 

Can I get a refund for my child’s school fees, program fees, extracurricular fees, Hot Lunch fees, and/or student transportation fees?

Once the school reopens, fees will be reviewed and reassessed. Based on the length of the strike and the impact to programming, fees may be refunded.

Are the Diploma Examinations cancelled?

At this time, Diploma schedules remain status quo.  We will be waiting on Alberta Education's direction for this, if there is a change to the diploma exam schedule, we will notify families. 

Will school-based extracurricular activities and sports continue as scheduled?

All extracurricular activities—field trips; school council, and community meetings will be cancelled. Fine Arts rehearsals, student clubs, sports competitions, practices, tournaments, and games will be suspended.

How will my child be supported during the strike with learning? Are teachers providing resources? Can students take textbooks home?

Resources assigned to individual students may be taken home. Teachers will not be programming for students into the future.

Alberta Education has created a toolkit for parents, with materials available on the Learn Alberta website. These materials have not been assessed by SPS staff and our board was not consulted in their creation, thus we cannot comment on them. 

Will Principals and Vice Principals be in school during the strike?

In Alberta, principals and vice principals are full ATA members in the collective agreement, and will be on strike with the ATA.

If there are staff working in the building during the strike, is there access to the building for parents/students?

Parents and students in grades Kindergarten to Grade 12 will not have access to the schools during the strike, other than as outlined below for private daycare programs and community groups.  

Pre-Kindergarten programming continues during Labour Action, therefore Pre-K parents will have normal access to the school during regular program hours and their child’s early childhood education staff.

If I need to get a hold of school staff for any reason, how do parents do that?

Parents can contact the Division office at 780-939-4341 or via email at reception@sturgeon.ab.ca. 

Are daycares still operating within SPS schools?

All out-of-school childcare and daycares that have contracts with SPS will continue to operate according to their licensing agreements. Please reach out to those Daycare Operators for more information.

Are community user groups (Joint Use Groups) that offer programming in the evenings still operating?

User groups that have current bookings with SPS to run community programs at any of our school sites will continue to operate as scheduled. No new bookings will be expected at this time.

-Strike Action Updates