Alberta Defends Back-to-Work Law, Says Negotiating With Teachers Was Getting “Uncomfortably Democratic”
The Alberta Teachers’ Association spent Wednesday in court asking a judge to temporarily suspend the province’s Back to School Act, arguing that while governments can pass laws, they usually aren’t supposed to pass them specifically to end arguments they’re losing.
The request was heard at the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, where teachers are seeking an injunction to pause Bill 2 until a full constitutional challenge can be heard later this year, ideally before the government discovers an even larger constitutional override.
Passed in October, the law forced striking teachers back to work under a four-year contract they had already rejected, helpfully protected by the Notwithstanding Clause, a feature of the Charter designed for rare emergencies and, increasingly, awkward bargaining sessions.
ATA president Jason Schilling said teachers feel deeply hurt by the move and believe the premier doesn’t understand the damage it caused.
The province says it had no choice, explaining that prolonged strikes were disrupting families. and setting a dangerous precedent where workers might believe their “rights” apply during negotiations.
If the injunction is granted, teachers could legally resume strike action, returning Alberta to the deeply unsettling concept of negotiations where both sides are expected to participate.
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