Alberta keeps timing unclear on Back-to-Work law as teachers’ strike enters third week

October 21, 2025

RED FM News Desk

The Alberta government is keeping tight-lipped about when it might move to end the provincewide teachers’ strike through back-to-work legislation.

Government House Leader Joseph Schow says no final decision has been made on the timing or speed of such a bill, even as the legislature returns this week with Thursday’s speech from the throne.

Premier Danielle Smith has already signaled that legislation is coming soon, warning last week that the ongoing strike is causing “irreparable harm” to students.

The walkout — now in its third week — involves 51,000 teachers and has disrupted learning for 750,000 students across Alberta’s public, separate, and francophone school systems.

Talks between the government and the Alberta Teachers’ Association remain deadlocked over wages and classroom conditions, with teachers insisting urgent action is needed to address overcrowded classrooms and ensure better learning environments.

For now, the government appears to be holding its legislative hand — but pressure is mounting for a swift resolution to one of Alberta’s largest education labour disputes in decades.