The parents of about 750,000 Alberta students can expect to send their children back to classes soon as the provincial government has passed legislation to bring an end to a contract dispute that's kept teachers out of schools since early October.
Bill 2, or the Back to School Act, was passed early Tuesday morning after a long night for lawmakers in the provincial legislature. Premier Danielle Smith’s government introduced the legislation the day before.
The legislation forces striking teachers back to work as early as Wednesday by imposing a collective agreement and invoking the notwithstanding clause to shield it from court challenges for the duration of the four-year deal.
The provincial government used legislative tools to limit debate on all three stages of the bill.
"Our intention is to pass this legislation immediately and end the strike by the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)," Smith said at a news conference earlier Monday.
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