ATA Labour Action Updates & Information (2025)
This page will be archived November 30, 2025
Current Status:
All FSD schools are to reopen for the resumption of teaching and learning for all grades beginning Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
The Province of Alberta has passed Bill 2 - the Back to School Act. The Act:
- Ends the lockout and the strike involving the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)
- Legislates ATA members back to work
- Concludes the bargaining process by legislating the collective agreement between the Teachers' Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) and the ATA
- Invokes the notwithstanding clause
Read more about the Back to School Act
Review the Collective Agreement in the Back to School Act
Timeline of Events
October 28 , 2025
Bill 2 - the Back to School Act is passed by the Province of Alberta. The Act:
- Ends the lockout and the strike involving the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)
- Legislates ATA members back to work
- Concludes the bargaining process by legislating the collective agreement between the Teachers' Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) and the ATA
- Invokes the notwithstanding clause
All FSD schools will reopen for teaching and learning on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
View the letter to families from the Superintendent of Foothills School Division.
October 27, 2025
6:40pm
Foothills School Division is asked to share a letter from the Premier of Alberta with all families in the division. The letter addresses the Back to School Act, which indicates all classes are to resume on Wednesday, October 29, 2025.
Foothills School Division commits to updating families with further information on October 28, 2025.
Read the Letter from Premier Smith
Read more about the Back to School Act
Read more about the Back to School Act
8:30am
We are aware of misinformation in our communities indicating that schools are now open for learning. As of the morning of October 27, 2025, there is no change to school operations impacted by labour action:
- All K-12 classes remain cancelled. Please do not send your children in Kindergarten through to grade 12 to school.
- Transportation services are not running. Please do not leave your child at a bus stop.
- Out of School Care service providers continue to operate as previously planned.
Should the status of the labour action change, we will inform parents directly by email and at our website.
October 17, 2025
In a press conference on October 17, 2025, Premier Danielle Smith suggested that teachers may be legislated back to work (link). This decision may be made once the Legislative Assembly reconvenes on October 23, 2025 (link).
Once we have further details we will inform you of next steps by email and at our website.
Statement from the Alberta Teachers' Association (Teachers.ab.ca)
October 9, 2025
Based on reports from news media outlets, it is our understanding that negotiations between TEBA and ATA will resume on October 14, 2025. (CBC News, CTV News)
October 7, 2025
The Teachers Employer Bargaining Association (TEBA) has provided the ATA 72 hours' lockout notice, effective 1:00pm October 9, 2025.
What is a lockout?
A lockout is similar to a strike, but it’s initiated by the other party in the bargaining process—in this case, TEBA. As noted by TEBA, this measure is a reactive approach in response to the ATA’s strike notice, aiming to reduce the potential disruption that other labour actions, like rotating strikes, could cause. This approach also means that teachers are not permitted to work in schools until such time as an agreement is reached and the lockout concludes. As ATA members are already on strike, the lockout does not change the current status of ATA members.
The lockout does not alter the current operations of schools noted below in the October 6 update.
October 6, 2025
The ATA, which represents teachers and school administrators across the province, are on strike, effective 12:01am October 6, 2025.
- All K-12 classes will be cancelled. Please do not send your K – 12 children to school.
- Transportation services will not be running. Please do not leave your child at a bus stop.
- Junior Kindergarten Update: classes will now be running as we will deploy Division Office staff for additional supervision.
- Before and After School Care Update: Many care programs located in FSD schools will continue to operate. This will be communicated by the service provider to affected families.
Other information:
- All school athletics, trips and extracurricular activities will be suspended or cancelled until further notice.
- Access to M365, Moodle, and Google classroom are turned off for students, teaching staff, and families.
- If labour action occurs for an extended period, reimbursements for programming fees will be addressed after the labour action ends, allowing assessment of the duration and determination of proration. Reimbursements for field trips or day-specific activities cancelled due to labour action will be provided.
- Our support staff will continue to report to work, as funding allows, to work on professional development and other role-specific tasks as time allows.
- After-hours public rentals in schools will continue as scheduled.
Labour Action Communications
October 28, 2025 - Letter to Parents (Minister of Education and Childcare)
October 28, 2025 - Teaching and Learning to Resume October 29, 2025 (Superintendent of Schools, FSD)
October 27, 2025 - Letter to Teachers - Back to School Act (Premier of Alberta)
October 27, 2025 - Letter to Parents - Back to School Act (Premier of Alberta)
October 20, 2025 - Labour Action Update Email to Families
October 15, 2025 - Labour Action Parent Payment Portal Now Open
October 10, 2025 - Division Newsletter: October 2025
October 9, 2025 - Parent Letter - Supports for Families (Minister of Education and Childcare, Government of Alberta)
October 2, 2025 - Strike Notice and Preparation for Families (Superintendent of Schools, FSD)
