The reasons behind the vote - Calgary Public teachers September 9 settlement vote

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

The text recounts a September 9 close vote by Calgary Public teachers at Jubilee Auditorium rejecting a proposed settlement after months on strike. It explains that many teachers opposed postponing the dispute until spring, cited the absence of a clear resolution on preparation time, and expressed reluctance to rely on changes from the October 15 elections. Dissatisfaction also centered on uneven distribution of extra teachers and distrust of the board.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

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The reasons behind the vote

Why teachers opposed settlement

Negotiation process and added guarantees

Clause 18.3 and procedural changes

By a dra:natically narrow margin of sevenvotes,Calgary Public teachers meeting atJubilee Auditorium on Tuesday,September 9,turned down a suggestion for a settlementin their three-month-old strike. The suggestion for settlement was pro-posed by provincial mediator Jack Flynn andendorsed by Minister of Labor Les Youngafter four days of meetings with the Repre-sentative of the Bargaining Agent(RBA),the Negotiating Subcommittee,the presi-dent of Local No.38,and the co-ordinator ofTeacher Welfare,as well as with CalgaryBoard of Education representatives. The Calgary teachers,after more thanthree hours of hard questioning and emo-tional debate,voted 1,834 against and 1,827for the suggested settlement-with twospoiled ballots. The proposals had been recommended bythe local's economic policy and executivecommittees and by Provincial ExecutiveCouncil. The settlement suggestion contained fourparts,two of which remained unchangedfrom the memorandum of agreement re-jected by teachers on August 27. The two unchanged items were a provi-sion of 140 teachers in the system to # The reasons behind the vote The September 9 vote by Calgary Publicteachers on the suggestion for settlementmay have been close,but those against itwere clear on their reasons. Many teachers chafed at the idea of post-poning the issue until spring.If the boardwas not moving on preparation time now,they said,why would things change byspring?If they had been on strike for threemonths,other teachers emphasized,whywould they simply postpone the issue now? The teachers showed their frustration atthe lack of any clear resolution to the disputeover preparation time.And they were notwilling to bank on a change in trustees in theOctober 15 elections."We're not going to LATE FLASH:as this supplement was going to press,The ATA News learnedthat Minister of LaborLes Young ordered are-vote by teachers to be supervisedby the Board of Industrial Relations for Monday,September 15. TheATANewS Special bulletinNarrow vote in Calgary compensate for exceptional workload andthe establishing of a fact-finding com-mission to report on working conditions byDecember 15,1980. The new suggestions from Young andFlynn referred to the contentious Clause 18.3 and to the span of the agreement. The document handed out to teachers atthe beginning of the meeting suggested that: ● there be a two-year agreement with pro-vision for its being reopened at the expiry ofthe first year for negotiations on Clause 18.3 ·negotiations on Clause 18.3 could beginimmediately.but not later than March 1.andif no settlement were reached by March 6,the teachers wouldbe eligible to take a strikevote and the board would be eligible to lockout ● any amendments agreed to on Clause 18.3 would take effect on the first day of the1981/82 school year. The important addition in this suggestionfor settlement was a guarantee of usualnegotiating procedures-particularly thestrike vote-relating to Clause 18.3. The purpose of delaying consideration ofClause 18.3 was to wait for the report of thefact-finding commission already appointedby Minister of Labor Les Young. act on faith,"one teacher said. There was dissatisfaction too that theproposed 140 extra teachers in the system tocompensate for exceptional workload wereunevenly distributed between elementaryand secondary schools. The teachers who voted for acceptance ofthe suggestion for settlement appeared toagree with Frank Ackerman,theRepresentative of the Bargaining Agent,who reported to the meeting that further pro-gress was unlikely at this time. The vote split almost evenly.There was arecount,but the decision stood.CalgaryPublic teachers once again stated that theydid not trust their board.

FAQs

What was the key reason many teachers opposed postponing the issue until spring?

Teachers argued that if the board would not act on preparation time now, postponing until spring would not change outcomes.

How did the vote result in Calgary Public teachers’ rejection of the settlement suggestion?

The ballot showed 1,834 votes against and 1,827 for, with two spoiled ballots, resulting in rejection despite being close.

What dissatisfaction existed beyond timing and preparation time?

Teachers also complained that the proposed additional 140 teachers to cover workload were distributed unevenly between elementary and secondary schools.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick