Saskatchewan Premier Supports Alberta’s Use of Notwithstanding Clause to End Teacher Strike

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he supports Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s decision to invoke the notwithstanding clause to bring an end to the province’s ongoing teachers’ strike.

Moe said Alberta’s use of the clause, which temporarily overrides certain Charter rights, was justified to ensure that students could return to classrooms after weeks of labour disruption. He added that provincial governments have a responsibility to use “every tool available” to protect the interests of citizens, including the education of children.

The Alberta government invoked the clause this week to pass emergency legislation ordering roughly 51,000 teachers back to work, ending a three-week provincewide strike. The bill passed through the legislature within hours, prompting debate over the limits of government power in labour disputes.

Under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the notwithstanding clause allows governments to override specific sections of the Charter for up to five years, after which it must be renewed.

Saskatchewan’s government made similar use of the clause in 2023 when it passed legislation requiring parental consent before students under 16 could change their names or pronouns at school—a move that also drew national attention and court challenges.