Education support workers in Fort McMurray, Alta., could walk off the job as early as Wednesday, after issuing a 72-hour strike notice Friday to the public and Catholic school divisions.
The latest move stems from nine months of contract negotiations and forced mediation by the province, which was unsuccessful.
On Sept. 17, both CUPE 2554 and CUPE 2559 issued a strike notice. However, the provincial government intervened and appointed them to two dispute inquiry boards.
During that process, CUPE President 2554 Lynn Fleet said the two sides still couldn’t come to an agreement.
“We rejected the recommendations from the [Dispute Inquiry Board]. They weren’t offering us anything of substance,” Fleet told Global News. “We did do another strike vote. The public board was 99.1-per cent in favour of a strike.”
CUPE 2554 represents educational assistants, librarians, custodians, and other support staff at the public division. CUPE 2559 represents those roles working at the Catholic division.
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Members at both units plan to picket Wednesday morning at Dr. Karl A Clark Public School and Lady of the Rivers Catholic School. They plan to picket Thursday as well, though a location hasn’t been disclosed.
Beginning Nov. 18, both unions plan to strike on a rotating basis through various schools once or twice a week.
Classes will continue for most of the student body with limited resources. Students in specialized or assisted programs may be required to stay home.
CUPE 2559 President Danielle Danis says while they want to advocate for what they deserve, they want to make the least amount of impact on its students.
“It will cause some interruptions but at the same time, we’re trying to respect the balance of the students who need to be in schools, especially the most vulnerable students,” Danis told Global News.
Education support staff have been calling for wage increases and suitable working conditions.
They say their members are overburdened by the workloads and are pulled in several directions. They feel they can’t support their students adequately.
Danis adds her members’ salaries don’t keep up with cost of living. She says many of her colleagues are working two jobs to make ends meet.
“I should be making $7.84 more an hour to keep up with inflation so it’s really frustrating,” Danis said.
In a joint statement released Friday, both presidents say their employers have also applied for a lockout notice which has been approved, but has not been served.
“Most places that do go on a strike are served lockout notice at the same time. There is really no difference. We’re on strike and they’ve locked us out. They have not served that to us, yet. ”
Education Minister Demetrios Nicholaides believes the strike will disrupt student learning and create challenges for families.
“My hope is that both parties can quickly overcome their challenges and bring stability to schools,” he said in a statement.
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