EDBERG, Alta. – On the first day of an Alberta teachers’ strike Feb. 4,
Grade 6 student Chad Berglund and Grade 7 student Mihi Rietmann were
enjoying the unscheduled break.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Berglund carrying his hockey stick on his way
to the outdoor skating rink across from the Edberg School.
The pair plans to spend the school hours playing hockey, Nintendo and
watching television.
Grade 6 student Robert Storey stopped to knock a thick icicle off a
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downspout of the community centre as he wandered through the village to
the school. Storey was on the way to pick up assignments from the
support staff still at the 74-student school.
More than 240,000 children across Alberta are not in class after
teachers in 17 school districts were either locked out or went on
strike for higher wages and smaller class sizes.
Students like Storey can work at home or connect to education websites
to try and keep up with assignments. The Battle River Regional school
division, which looks after the Edberg school, sent home a list of
websites the students can access.
Pam Sjogren pulled up to the Edberg post office in her truck to pick up
her mail. The Edberg farmer doesn’t know what to do with her three
school-aged children if the strike lasts more than a week.
Today, the older children were taking turns hauling grain to the
elevator with their father, but the novelty will soon wear off.
“They have chores at home they could do, but I’d rather see them at
school,” said Sjogren, who is unsympathetic to the teacher’s strike.
The teachers have said they want a wage increase in line with the 22
percent raise health care workers received before the last provincial
election. Just before the walk out, two Red Deer school boards settled
with an 11.5 percent wage increase, an amount that seems acceptable to
most teachers and school boards.
“We’re farmers. We’d like to see a 20 percent raise in our pay, but we
know it’s not going to happen,” said Sjogren.
A dozen people sit around a long table at the Edberg Senior’s Drop-In
Centre drinking coffee, eating home made cookies and discussing the
teachers’ strike.
Calvin Johnson said if a straw poll were taken, most people would be in
favour of the teachers.
“A lot of people make more money than teachers,” said Johnson, who
thinks an 11 percent wage increase isn’t unreasonable.
Farmer Clarence Young said many local farmers have little sympathy.
They hear about the $60,000 paid to teachers at the top of the pay grid
and think they must be rolling in the cash.
“A lot of people in the rural areas haven’t worked for wages,” he said.
“I hope the teachers hold their ground. They took a roll back when
things were tough in Alberta.”
Renata Burns, a former teacher now in charge of the Drop-In Centre,
said parents don’t appreciate the long hours teachers put in marking
papers, preparing classes and dealing with undisciplined students.
“It’s not easy. I don’t teach anymore because it was too stressful. We
could sure use the money but I don’t want to get old before my time.”
During a chat around the coffee table, Burns said the people most
sympathetic toward the teachers have relatives who are teachers.
“I really get resentful. I think teachers deserve a decent wage like
other professionals.”
Cheryl Pelly said her son in Grade 5 is spending his time with a
neighbour who has arranged correspondence courses for the children. It
works as a temporary measure, but she hopes the strike doesn’t stretch
past a week.
“My concern is when they go back they don’t load the kids down with
homework to make up time.”
