Alberta Politics & Government Thread 3.0

[para transit fellow]

So working 68 hours to gain $500 is a ultimately about $7.40 /hr

Now if my agency has to transport that person to /From jobsite -- (assuming average distances in our patch of rural alberta) we are looking at spending about $700 to $1000/month so this albertan can earn the $500 needed to live under the new program.

(I would have to look up info on access calgary costs but they should be similar)

Edit: alberta government contributes zero to operation of transit for albertans.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Oh awesome. Can you clear up a few questions for us?

Did you get paid more at Connect?
Was there a slush fund created?
Did Connect kick students out that were not the right 'fit'?

We got paid from the same grid but took home more because we didn't pay ATA dues.

I worked there over a decade ago and at the time they were selective of kids coming into the school. I know over time that changed to some degree. NDP put a stop to some of their more exclusive policies. I don't know how it works over there now.

I was not made privy to the slush fund.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Major Major

We got paid from the same grid but took home more because we didn't pay ATA dues.

How did your pensions and other benefits between the two compare?

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

How did your pensions and other benefits between the two compare?

We paid into the same pension. I was too young and stupid to care about benefits. But I think they were basically the same.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Major Major

We paid into the same pension. I was too young and stupid to care about benefits. But I think they were basically the same.

Do you recall if your pension contributions were the same at both?

I’m not saying that they weren’t but these are common discrepancies when comparing charter and public system compensation that a lot of people don’t take into consideration when stating they earn the “same” and instead base it solely in their hourly rate or salary. I think even the CCSD and CBE have different contribution rates but I’m not 100% sure on that.

Personally I feel as though the UCP’s(and governments before theirs) support for charter schools has never really been about improving the overall education or providing options and has far more to do with reducing the bargaining power of teachers in all school divisions while putting money in the pockets of the operators of those divisions. But that’s a whole other discussion.

To be clear I’m actually not fully opposed to different school divisions existing, not even fully private options. I just don’t think tax dollars should be given to schools with little to no financial oversight.

The whole purpose behind the creation of a public education system was to give every kid the opportunity to get an education regardless of their family’s economic status because that generally provided an overall benefit to society. The option for people who wanted to and could afford to pay for an education without public funding was there long before the public system came around so it doesn’t make sense for similar schools to require that funding today.

[Duruss]

Alberta announces funding for business (that always call for lower taxes) to hire youth. Link to press conference.
https://youtu.be/x0EhNww-xs4?si=pstW3Vfm2EN_1PYz

I figuredADAP was going have this gift angle to it as the jobs literally do not exist to employ that many people.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Do you recall if your pension contributions were the same at both?

I’m not saying that they weren’t but these are common discrepancies when comparing charter and public system compensation that a lot of people don’t take into consideration when stating they earn the “same” and instead base it solely in their hourly rate or salary. I think even the CCSD and CBE have different contribution rates but I’m not 100% sure on that.

Personally I feel as though the UCP’s(and governments before theirs) support for charter schools has never really been about improving the overall education or providing options and has far more to do with reducing the bargaining power of teachers in all school divisions while putting money in the pockets of the operators of those divisions. But that’s a whole other discussion.

To be clear I’m actually not fully opposed to different school divisions existing, not even fully private options. I just don’t think tax dollars should be given to schools with little to no financial oversight.

The whole purpose behind the creation of a public education system was to give every kid the opportunity to get an education regardless of their family’s economic status because that generally provided an overall benefit to society. The option for people who wanted to and could afford to pay for an education without public funding was there long before the public system came around so it doesn’t make sense for similar schools to require that funding today.

Good question. If they weren't the same it would have only been marginally different. Contributions change year over year based on a few factors but I didn't notice anything big.

[Tron_fdc]

Went to a private NDP event on the weekend and had some interesting conversations with some of the attendees (Nenshi was there, a few other MLA's).

Heard something about another scandal coming out regarding the private clinic that was subcontracting surgeries (older news) https://calgary.citynews.ca/2025/02/...s-ahs-scandal/

Supposedly it's the same guy running the clinics that they used for the Tylenol debacle.

Lots of hinting towards an early election, although I couldn't really get a straight answer on why.

[firebug]

While I'm not a fan of Jason Kenney I do appreciate his comments smacking around separatists in this article:

Canadian Press Article

"They've only managed to win one riding, once, in a byelection in (Olds-Didsbury) in 1982 at the height of the National Energy Program, which they shortly thereafter lost," he said.

"Over 50 years they've failed to win. They couldn't get elected dogcatcher in this province, because they don't actually have real support."

[troutman]

He said he also knows that separatism is, and always has been, the rallying cry for a tiny core of flighty, discontented Albertans.

"We're talking about at most a few thousand people,” Kenney said.

“And if you just follow them on social media, they're all attacking Ukraine and cheering on (Russian Leader) Vladimir Putin. They were all cheering on (U.S. President) Donald Trump, when he was attacking Canada with tariffs and the threats of making us become the 51st state.

"These are just the people who are perennially aggrieved, perennially angry, and this is just the flavour of the day for them."

These geniuses have a rally in Pincher Creek tonight and CNP tomorrow. People are organizing to show up in opposition in red clothing and Canadian flags. Singing O Canada.

[Wolven]

In a move that will surprise no one, the UCP continues to avoid negotiating with the Teachers Union and instead attacks them in court over a letter to membership they sent on Aug 29.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...aims-1.7634570

What the government objects to is this statement:

the government has not provided the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) with the mandate to negotiate on important issues—such as class complexity, class size, supports for students and violence-free classrooms—to improve the learning environment for students and teachers.

For those who may not know, the Teachers' Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) is basically the group of negotiators who represent the government.

The teachers have put out their statement of reply:
https://teachers.ab.ca/news/response...ning-complaint

I'll be curious to see if the recordings of the negotiations will get leaked as a part of the legal case. I absolutely believe that a conversation was had where the teachers demanded terms around class size, class complexity, supports for students and the TEBA negotiators likely said "we are not authorized to negotiate on any of those terms".

Now the teachers are saying that part out loud and the UCP are cowards who would rather attack the teachers than negotiate in good faith.

To the posters who have spoken about violence in the classrooms, take note that the teachers are trying to address those issues in the negotiations and the UCP is ignoring the issue and attacking the teachers for bringing it up. If you want to be angry at someone, it is the UCP.

Go to school tomorrow and tell the teachers that you'll support them in this fight for as long as it takes to get them what they need.

[malcolmk14]

Gloves are coming off. Government is trying to sew discord in the ranks and stoke distrust of negotiators. Teachers need to ignore this & do their jobs for the next two weeks. Negotiators need to let the Labour Relations Board part of this play out, hopefully they dismiss this nonsense, and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[CFO]

Originally Posted by RandyHolt

I have no idea what the solution is, but when there are 5-10 kids in each grade in a busy school that have little to no chance at ever learning at the same level as the rest of the class, there's a systemic issue that needs to be addressed.

My kids have had an EA in their class full time and it doesn't help. There are still tantrums that require evacuation (although not as often as 30 times in two months thankfully). There are kids on the playground intentionally hurting other kids, and nothing is done about it. There are kids that don't know the language who are just mixed in with everyone else and expected to learn at the same rate.

What ends up happening in my experience is the 5-10 kids in these classes take up 90% of the teacher's time, and the other 20 get no attention even though they need some. I agree that class sizes and more EAs will help, but some of the kids that have no chance of ever catching up just need to be separated into a different class/school so that they can get some education, but not disrupt the education of the other 20-30 kids.

Well said.

[IliketoPuck]

Personal anecdote on classroom violence:

My wife is a grade 5/6 teacher. A grade 6 student several years ago was coded for a number of different issues, one of which was spontaneous physical violence. Typically only occurred with his peer interactions. One such incident occurred where this individual started a fight in the classroom line, while my then 8 month pregnant wife had her back turned. She was knocked stomach first into the corner of a desk, and had to go immediately to the Foothills Hospital. Everything ultimately turned out fine, but I've never been so angry.

Classroom supports matter.

Complexity in classrooms is real. But I would argue that the teachers do a poor job of explaining themselves to the general public, and are absolutely guilty of "teacher speaking" when it comes to classroom issues.

What is classroom complexity, really? They need to explain it simply and in a way that resonates with the everyday public.

Teacher's don't just teach one lesson to 30 kids. They are managing 30 different lives, emotions, abilities, and distractions, all at once.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by firebug

While I'm not a fan of Jason Kenney I do appreciate his comments smacking around separatists in this article:

Canadian Press Article

The WCC (the 1982 separatist party) broke up in fact because they had internal fights over whether to make separatism a priority or not. Plus of course, they had a bunch of white supremacists like Doug Christie who embarrassed the party.

[puffnstuff]

The Western Canada Concept lol

[Regorium]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nces-1.7632720

This article really opened my eyes.

I remember growing up and even after starting work, it was always that Alberta teachers, nurses and other public sector employees were the best paid in Canada which is part of that Alberta advantage. Now it's just horrifically eroded to the point where 12% over 4 years is just laughable. I'd say you need something like 10-15% immediate bump (and I think this is even too low) and then 12% over 4 years to regain some ground that's been lost.

The 6.5B deficit is not the teacher's problem. The fact that the UCP did a tax cut which reduced revenues by over a billion dollars is not the teacher's problem. Pay the teachers.

And regarding the issue with classroom complexity, I'm really worried about my son (not yet in kindergarten) who's extremely passive and struggles to actively interact with adults and teachers. When he's in his swimming or sports classes, he rarely participates until the teacher really engages him (and then he's fantastic and enjoys doing it). I have this sinking feeling that my son is the exact prototype of kid that gets left behind when we're talking about large class sizes and multitudes of needs - he's quiet, attentive, listens to instructions, not violent at all, but without that active engagement, I fear he's gonna fall through the cracks on the education front.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Regorium

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nces-1.7632720

This article really opened my eyes.

I remember growing up and even after starting work, it was always that Alberta teachers, nurses and other public sector employees were the best paid in Canada which is part of that Alberta advantage. Now it's just horrifically eroded to the point where 12% over 4 years is just laughable. I'd say you need something like 10-15% immediate bump (and I think this is even too low) and then 12% over 4 years to regain some ground that's been lost.

The 6.5B deficit is not the teacher's problem. The fact that the UCP did a tax cut which reduced revenues by over a billion dollars is not the teacher's problem. Pay the teachers.

And regarding the issue with classroom complexity, I'm really worried about my son (not yet in kindergarten) who's extremely passive and struggles to actively interact with adults and teachers. When he's in his swimming or sports classes, he rarely participates until the teacher really engages him (and then he's fantastic and enjoys doing it). I have this sinking feeling that my son is the exact prototype of kid that gets left behind when we're talking about large class sizes and multitudes of needs - he's quiet, attentive, listens to instructions, not violent at all, but without that active engagement, I fear he's gonna fall through the cracks on the education front.

Thanks for sharing this.

It is hugely important that people keep in mind the government had a surplus in the last fiscal year and how they dumped all of the money into the Heritage Fund. This is including a $700M payout that Alberta received from a big tobacco lawsuit that was meant to help cover the extra costs that the health system incurs by smokers.

The UCP could have easily used a cool billion of that to invest in healthcare and negotiate with the teachers in good faith to restore the "Alberta Advantage". Instead they are trying to make that money disappear and now are walking around with their pockets inside out pretending to be broke and hoping that Albertans are too dumb to remember.

Also, this is one of Nenshi's talking points, the UCP has tied the government budget more closely to the oil industry. This has resulted in one of Alberta's largest financial swings in our history from a big surplus to an even bigger deficit in the matter of months. The volatility of the industry, and now our budget as well, makes it even more important to not be a goldfish and do not fall for the UCP's short-term-memory ploys.