Throughout the Alberta teachers’ strike, early childhood educators (ECEs) across Alberta stepped up to support children and families while teachers advocated for fair wages and working conditions.
You showed compassion, inclusion, and care for every child and family — helping teachers know children were safe and supported. We were united by one belief: everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and respected.
However, many of us are feeling a complex mix of emotions — frustration, empathy, and concern for the future of education and care in our province. The teachers’ strike has shown that teachers and ECEs share many of the same challenges and both care deeply about helping children learn and grow.
The strike has also left us feeling unsure about the effect on people’s rights and voices. In times like this, caring for each other and our communities matters even more.
So, what is Bill 2?
Bill 2 – The Back to School Act was passed by the Government of Alberta in the early hours on October 28, 2025.
What the bill does
- It ends the teachers’ strike and tells teachers they must go back to work.
- It sets a new contract for teachers from 2024 to 2028, despite teachers rejecting the same contract earlier in the year.
- It stops local bargaining (talks between school boards and teachers) until 2028.
- It adds fines and penalties for the association and teachers if they go on strike again.
- It uses something called the “notwithstanding clause.”
- This lets the government override certain rights for up to five years.
- It means people cannot challenge this law in court in the usual way.
Why this matters to early childhood educators
- Even though this bill is about teachers, it affects everyone who works with children and families.
- It illustrates how major policy decisions can affect educators’ working conditions and professional voice.
- It reminds us that educators and teachers are all part of one caring system that helps children learn, grow, and belong.
What you can do
When big changes like this happen, it’s normal to feel unsure or worried. You are not alone. We can take small but powerful steps to make our voices heard safely.
Use AECEA’s Self-Advocacy Toolkit to:
- Learn your rights and responsibilities as an ECE.
- Practice ways to speak up with confidence and respect.
- Share your experiences and concerns with AECEA. Send us an email info@aecea.ca. We can then create a report to government, without your name attached.
- Support each other by building a strong, united voice for ECEs.
- Write to your MLA and MP expressing your concerns.
Together, we are stronger
Bill 2 reminds us that our voices matter.
The AECEA Self-Advocacy Toolkit was designed to help you speak confidently and constructively about the importance of our work. It is a non-partisan, empowering resource that supports educators in articulating your values, communicating your impact, and engaging meaningfully with families, communities, and decision-makers.
As Alberta’s teachers take collective action to advocate for the support and recognition our profession deserves, AECEA extends its solidarity and respect to all educators — in classrooms, early learning settings, and beyond — who carry the shared responsibility of helping children thrive.
The Self-Advocacy Toolkit is an invitation to channel the emotions of this moment — empathy, frustration, determination — into reflection and action. It reminds us that advocacy can be relational, respectful, and deeply personal. It’s about using our voices to build understanding and inspire change, so that every child benefits from educators who are supported, respected, and heard.
Explore the toolkit, share it with colleagues, and use it to spark meaningful conversations in your community.
Our collective voices matter, for our profession, for one another, and most importantly, for Alberta’s children.