Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling told reporters Monday, after 90 per cent of those who voted rejected the deal, that the result was a "historical no" and a sign of just how disrespected teachers are feeling.

The rejected offer included a 12-per-cent pay raise over four years and a government promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address class sizes.

Teachers also would've had the cost of their COVID-19 vaccines covered by the government as part of the contract.

The government has said the contract would've been good for Alberta's education system, saying it was strong on classroom investment.

Schilling said the union, which represents 51,000 teachers across Alberta, is open to further negotiations but all signs are pointing to teachers hitting the picket lines next Monday.

"If government comes with something that is similar to this, I don't know if my colleagues across the province would tolerate that kind of deal," Schilling said.

"Our members quite honestly are feeling extremely disrespected by government, especially this government."

A strike would see classes disrupted for more than 700,000 students across 2,500 schools.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2025.