Albertans celebrate Labour Day as union action grows in the province

September 1, marks Alberta’s 120th birthday. This year, Alberta Day also falls on a national holiday. But how many people celebrating know the origin of Labour Day?

“I don’t know a lot about Labour Day, but I just learned this morning it’s Labour Day and Alberta Day,” said Courtney Loran.

Robyn Ollenberg said, “I know that it’s a day off from school, it’s the last long weekend of the summer, and it’s a day we try to get the kids out to soak it all up.”

Labour Day has been a statutory holiday in Canada since 1894. It was a day for workers and unions to voice their demands and mark the day with events like parades, speeches, games, and competitions.

At a time when trade unions were still illegal, demonstrations across Canada became important for the working class to make their voices heard.

“We’ve heard a lot about what’s going on, whether or not they’ll be in school in a couple weeks,” said Loran.

This year’s Labour Day in Alberta brings back the original meaning of the holiday – teachers across the province are at a standstill with the government, lobbying for higher wages and better classroom conditions.

Last Thursday, the Alberta Teachers Association walked away from negotiations, as children head back to school this week, with a potential teacher’s strike looming.

“My niece is in grade nine, and she’s going to be deeply affected. How’s it going to affect her coursework and everything else?” asked Kayla.

Ollenberg adding, “I think it’s a real shame that we can’t come to an agreement on what the teachers should be earning. I think that it’s entirely reasonable for the teachers to want more, and I think that it’s a real shame that the government can’t be providing for the people that are shaping our youth.”

While the ATA has not served a 72-hour strike notice, and children will be in school this week, parents that CityNews spoke with say they support their children’s teachers taking job action.

“They deserve better wages, they are heroes for what they do, and they do things even us parents can’t do ourselves. They have the patience of saints, and they teach our children the life skills they need. And they deserve every penny that they make, and more,” said Kayla.

Loran added, “I think that at the end of the day, everyone deserves to have a living wage. So. Any way to get that is good for me, I’m ready.”

Ollenberg said, “We’re going to do what we have to to get through it, and if that means educating our kids at home, then that’s what we’ll do.”