Alberta teachers consider contract offer

Members of the the Alberta Teachers' Association are considering the latest contract offer from the provincial government.

While ATA leadership has endorsed the offer, the teachers have yet to cast their votes.

"At long last it's an offer that has the two key issues we are concerned about," association president Carol Henderson told CBC News on Saturday: protecting teachers' collective bargaining rights and addressing workload issues.

Social studies teacher Sheldon Dahl is disappointed at the four-year deal, which includes a three-year wage freeze with a two per cent increase and a one per cent cash bonus in the fourth year.

"In a lot of ways this is a big sacrifice for teachers," Dahl told CBC News. "If you are taking zero-zero by the end of those three years you are making less money than the year before."

Dahl said he's worried this is a sign of a repeat of 1990s-style cuts to education budgets.

Alberta's school boards have already signalled their concern on some aspects of the proposed deal, in particular a proposed cap on instructional hours by 2014.

Teachers have until May 13 to vote on the offer.