With a teachers’ strike looming, families will be “the big losers,” Finance Minister Nate Horner told Postmedia in an interview Wednesday, adding he’s hoping a strike can still be averted and the two sides are “talking.”

“The channels are open. Whether that’ll lead to anything more formal, I couldn’t guess right now, but they are talking,” Horner said.

The union confirmed the conversation is still in play after Monday’s almost 90 per cent vote to reject the most recent memorandum of understanding with the province.

“Yes, the lines of communication are open and we’re still talking,” said Aberta Teachers’ Association media liaison Heather Grant.

$15 million a day to pay parents

The minister placed a price tag of $15 million a day on the government’s scheme to pay parents to mind their s

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