Alberta Premier Plans Back-to-Work Legislation Amid Third-Week Teachers Strike Affecting 750,000 Students

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced plans to introduce back-to-work legislation by Monday if no agreement is reached to end the teachers strike that began on October 6, 2025. The strike, involving 51,000 teachers and affecting 750,000 students across the province's public, separate, and francophone schools, has led to significant protests outside the legislature, where demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction with the government's wage offer and handling of the negotiations. Smith emphasized the need to get students back to class, calling the ongoing situation intolerable and urging both sides to return to bargaining. The government has prepared the "Back to School Act," including changes to debate rules to expedite its passage, although no formal talks with the Alberta Teachers' Association are currently scheduled. Protesters used symbolic actions, such as placing russet potatoes at the legislature steps, criticizing Smith's earlier comments about negotiation flexibility. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has not provided a timeline for when students may return to classrooms.