Some 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers Association are poised to begin a strike today.

The labour action, if it goes ahead, will impact more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools.

Most school boards — including those in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray and Lethbridge — have sent notices telling families that barring an 11th-hour deal, classes would be paused beginning Monday.

Both sides appeared far apart late last week but the union said Friday they had resumed “exploratory conversations.”

Teachers rejected the government’s latest offer late last month, which included a 12 per cent pay raise over four years, a government promise to hire 3,000 more teachers to address class sizes and money to cover the cost of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Alberta Teac

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