More than 750,000 Alberta students have been spending the better part of October not in a classroom, but rather left to their own devices as a historic province-wide teachers strike heads into a third week. Although higher wages and increased staffing are among the key sticking points for the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA), the thousands of educational workers currently on the picket lines are looking for a generational change across the province's education sector. However, the Smith government doesn't seem to be budging on how far they want to reach into their pockets, with the Premier even considering ordering a back-to-work if kids aren't back in the classrooms by the time the legislature returns. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Sean Amato, Alberta politics reporter for CityNews to break down what the last few weeks have looked like during the province's first ever teacher strike, and how close the ATA is to getting what they're fighting for. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at
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