Alberta Government Signals Possible Back-to-Work Order Amid Ongoing Teachers’ Strike

            Alberta Premier Danielle Smith provides an update on teacher bargaining in Calgary, on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025.

The Alberta government is preparing legislation that could force striking teachers back into classrooms as early as next week if no deal is reached with the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA). The strike, now entering its third week, has left thousands of students without instruction and disrupted key academic milestones, including Grade 12 exams and extracurricular activities.

Government house leader Joseph Schow indicated that cabinet is weighing back-to-work legislation, though no final decision has been announced. Premier Danielle Smith has previously stated that “kids belong in the classroom” and suggested her government is willing to act if negotiations remain stalled.

The ATA, representing more than 50,000 teachers, has rejected recent government proposals, citing unresolved issues around class sizes, wages, and supports for increasingly complex classrooms. Union leaders argue that legislating teachers back to work without addressing these concerns would only deepen tensions.

Parents and students, particularly those in Grade 12, have voiced growing anxiety over the uncertainty. Some worry about the impact on post-secondary admissions and the loss of critical learning time.

As the legislature reconvenes later this week, all eyes will be on whether the government follows through with a back-to-work order or if a last-minute breakthrough can bring an end to the provincewide disruption.