Education support workers are not satisfied with what they’ve been offered at the bargaining table. Now, Fort McMurray is seeing expanded labour action, with other areas set to follow suit.
Ft. Mc. strike action expanded
Education support workers in Fort McMurray resumed strike action on Jan. 7.
Workers for the Fort McMurray Public and Catholic school districts first went on strike on Nov. 13 after rejecting the recommendations of a disputes inquiry board appointed by the province.
The strike began as rotating job action, but all members of CUPE local 2545 and 2559 will now be on strike until a contract is settled, said CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill in a news release issued Jan. 7.
Gill said the expansion of the job action is taking place because the provincial government has not acted to address the poor wages of school support workers, whose average annual pay is $34,500 in Alberta.
“The wages of these workers haven’t improved in over a decade,” said Gill. “They need a substantial increase to make up the ground lost to inflation.”
Gill warned that if the Alberta government doesn’t act soon, other workers at other school districts will follow soon.
The Fort McMurray locals wanted to give notice to parents and students who will be impacted by the escalated job action. Efforts were made to push the job action past the holidays.
“We understand the impact this will have on students, especially special needs students,” said Gill.
“However, students are being negatively affected by high turnover of staff. A good education requires well-paid, satisfied support staff.”
On their websites, both Fort McMurray school divisions stated that they would be suspending their early childhood programs and asking some students with special needs to refrain from attending school.
In a statement to CTV News, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said it seems “unreasonable that the union is demanding more” when a third-party mediator agreed that the wage increases offered are appropriate.
Nicolaides said he’s hopeful the union will put “students and families first” by returning to the bargaining table to find a deal that’s fair and reasonable.
Support workers in Edmonton and Sturgeon serve strike notice
Education support workers employed by Edmonton Public and Sturgeon Public school divisions served strike notice on Jan. 9. Job action was expected to begin as early as Jan. 13.
In a news release, CUPE 3550 local president Mandy Lamoureux, who represents Edmonton Public staff, said the action is part of CUPE’s plans to escalate job action until the government addresses low wages in the sector.
“Some support staff have gone 10 years without a cost-of-living wage,” Lamoureux said. “Many of our members work two to three jobs to earn a living wage.”
Lamoureux said CUPE locals across the province have been bargaining since 2020, but face “mandates” from the provincial government limiting increases to less than inflation.
“The impact of the UCP policy of starvation wages on the classroom is staggering,” Lamoureux said. “People are quitting, no one will take the jobs at these wages, and students and education are suffering.”
The situation is similar in Sturgeon, said CUPE 4625 president Kelly Salisbury.
“It was a hard decision to vote to strike,” Salisbury said. “But doing nothing will make a bad situation for students even worse in the long run. We need to take action now to protect education in Alberta.”❚
