Striking teachers to pay monthly fees to cover unionBy MEDICINE HAT NEWS on January 29, 2026. According to the ATA, during the three-week strike action it occurred “extraordinary expenditures” related to collective bargaining, and says the province-wide strike depleted the union’s Special Emergency Fund, valued at $25.5 million. This means, beginning Feb. 1, Alberta teachers will pay the ATA $40 a month until the union’s Special Emergency Fund is restored to its pre-strike level. “The Alberta Teachers’ Association needs to rebuild its Special Emergency Fund which was depleted during the strike,” president Jason Schilling said in a statement. The ATA says it still plans to forgo teacher membership fees that were not collected in October 2025 and reduce its 2025-26 fees for members.13-12