Alberta teacher salary bump gets funding

The Alberta government has reversed its position and will cover a jump in teachers' salaries this fall, Education Minister Dave Hancock announced.

"In light of the better-than-expected year-end results for the past fiscal year, government has determined that it is prudent to provide funding for the 2.92 per cent increase in this year," Hancock said in a statement posted on his website Wednesday.

Alberta school boards will receive $66 million on Sept. 1. They had been scrambling since an independent arbitrator awarded a 5.99 per cent pay raise to teachers. 

The province covered the arbitrator's award but had made no commitment to covering the fall pay hike granted to teachers in their collective agreement.

The Alberta Treasury Board approved the extra money on Tuesday, and Hancock notified board chairs and superintendents on Wednesday.

"So far, anybody that's suggested they're making staff adjustments have based it on not getting enough money to cover the increases," Hancock said.

"Well, they're getting enough money to cover the increases and so they shouldn't be doing staff layoffs for that reason."

The Calgary Board of Education had said it would face a $10 million deficit even after cutting 192 teaching positions and 85 support positions.

Edmonton Public Schools determined it would have to lay off 119 teachers — even after it used $22.3 million of a $34-million reserve fund to cover a salary increase for teachers.

Heather Welwood, the president of the Alberta School Board Association, welcomed the news but wished it had come a few weeks ago, before hundreds of teachers were given layoff notices.

"What will happen now is boards will have to redo their budgets and pick up the phone and start calling people to basically let them know that they have a position in the fall," she said.

This could be a scramble, Wellwood said, especially if some of those teachers have already found other jobs.