The Alberta Teachers’ Association

This article is part of a series on the bargaining process by the Teacher Welfare program area of the ­Alberta Teachers’ Association.

The setting is the staff lounge at Our Lady of AAWE School, in Somewhere, Alberta. Teachers Sandy and Chris have arrived early and are having coffee together.

Sandy: Chris, have you filled out the survey about what improvements or changes you’d like to see in the next round of bargaining?

Chris: No. Why waste my time with that? The school board and our Economic Policy Committee (EPC) make up their minds way before we answer these surveys.

Sandy: That’s where you’re wrong. The EPC wants and needs your input. Many of the clauses in our collective agreement are ideas from teachers in our local. Without our input, the committee would be guessing at what we wanted. Don’t you remember how Mike pushed for a health care spending account and we finally got one. Remember when you had to take an unpaid day to attend your Uncle Bill’s funeral? You could fill out this survey and request that immediate family members be extended to cover aunts and uncles. Plus, when the committee goes to negotiate, it has more credibility with the board if all members of the local have completed the survey.

Chris: But I don’t have time to fill out the survey. I’ll let the others do it for me.

Sandy: It’s your responsibility! Each one of us in the teaching profession has the right and responsibility to

• be members of the organization representing our professional, economic and contractual concerns;
• serve the organization and be represented by it;
• bargain for salaries and working conditions that include fair and equitable grievance procedures; and
• receive an adequate income while teaching and a pension upon retirement.

It’s just like voting, Chris. If you vote, you have the right to criticize. If you don’t take the time to fill out the survey, then you haven’t earned the right to criticize what the EPC takes to negotiations and your ideas won’t be brought forward for consideration.

Chris: Okay, okay, you’re right. My voice needs to be heard.

Over the next few months, your EPC will be asking you to identify the issues you’d like discussed at the bargaining table. Please participate in any surveys and provide information about issues that are important to you. When more teachers participate, the results are more valid and there is a higher probability of success in bargaining.