The Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) is vowing widespread labour action after the provincial government invoked the notwithstanding clause to end the ongoing teachers’ strike. The move, aimed at restoring stability in classrooms, has drawn predictable outrage from union leadership but relief from many parents who say weeks of disruption have gone on long enough.

The government’s legislation, introduced Monday, forces roughly 51,000 teachers back to work and overrides parts of the Charter that protect the right to strike. The bill also imposes a contract that includes wage increases and additional support staff—terms the province says are fair and sustainable.

AFL President Gil McGowan called the use of the notwithstanding clause “an unprecedented threat to workers’ rights,” claiming it

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