CUPE Local 3705

Our amazing speaker at CUPE Alberta convention today.

Alberta kids deserve better! We hope that this afternoon's new provincial budget will finally give our students the funding they deserve.

STONY PLAIN/SPRUCE GROVE. AB – About 400 education support workers at Parkland School Division will begin full strike action today. The workers have been engaged in ‘work-to-rule’ since February 18.

The workers join 6,000 other striking educational support workers in Fort McMurray, Edmonton, Leduc, Sturgeon, Calgary and the Okotoks region.

CUPE Local 5543 Vice President Chrissy Nickel said the workers had wanted to give the province a chance to address the strike issues, but were disappointed by their lack of concern.

“The purposeful underfunding of education has left classrooms without the support staff they need, directly impacting students—those with complex needs, those in mainstream classes, and those who require additional assistance to understand the curriculum.”

Nickel said the workers will put up picket lines today at the Parkland School Division office at 4300 43 St, Stony Plain.

“We understand the impact this has on students, especially students with special needs,” said Nickel. “However, students are being negatively affected by low wages, high turnover of staff, and vacancies in support positions. A good education requires well paid, satisfied support staff.”

Today we had 3550 members sit in the legislature as guests of the NDP. The UCP government were not able to ignore our faces in the gallery.

CALGARY, AB – Four groups of educational support workers set up picket lines today and join existing strikes already in progress across Alberta.

The four groups include:

CUPE Local 40, 800 employees of the Calgary Board of Education.
CUPE Local 520, 350 employees of the Calgary Catholic School Division.
CUPE Local 3484, 570 employees of Black Gold School Division.
CUPE Local 5040, 300 employees of Foothills School Division.

These workers join over 4,000 others on strikes in Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Sturgeon County. A further 400 workers at Parkland School Division are engaging in ‘work-to-rule’ actions.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill says his members are tired of poverty-level wages and low funding levels for education. Alberta has the lowest education funding of any province in Canada. The average school support worker in the province makes just $34,500 per year.

“A good education requires well paid, satisfied support staff,” said Gill. “Some support workers have endured 30% inflation over a decade without any wage increases.”

Gill said support workers are striking because they feel low wages are having an impact on learning. Some school districts have up to 10% vacancy rates.

“We understand the impact this has on students, especially students with special needs,” said Gill. “However, students are affected by low wages, high turnover of staff, and vacancies in support positions. Doing nothing will make things worse.”

Gill blamed the Alberta government for the situation.

“We warned the province that if they didn’t take action, the strike would spread, and today that’s coming true,” said Gill.

“We want the province to take responsibility, fund our schools properly, and end this dispute.”

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CALGARY, AB - Two more groups of education support workers have filed 72-hour strike notice, meaning four groups in total will take job action on Monday.

CUPE Local 3484, representing 570 support staff at Black Gold School Division, and CUPE Local 5040, representing 300 support staff at Foothills School Division, both served strike notice last evening. Both groups expect to begin job action on Monday morning.

CUPE Local 40 (Calgary Board of Education, 800 employees) and CUPE Local 520 (Calgary Catholic School Division, 350 employees) have already served strike notice and also expect to begin job action on Monday.

The workers join 4,000 education support workers already on strike in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and Sturgeon School Division. A further 400 employees of Parkland School Division started work to rule on Tuesday.

The average school support worker in Alberta makes just $34,500. Many have gone almost a decade without a wage increase, a period of 30% inflation.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said that striking is a final resort for education support staff, but they feel they have no other option. He said that members don’t like to leave their students, but they know doing nothing will only make a bad situation worse.

“We went too long without a meaningful wage increase, during periods of record inflation,” said Gill. “Many staff work multiple jobs and some rely upon the food bank. People who are responsible for our children’s education deserve better.”

Gill noted that Alberta has the lowest per capita education funding in Canada. He says ‘mandates’ from the province restrict the wages school divisions can offer.

“We need the province to step up and help,” said Gill. “They brought us to this point, they need to take responsibility.”

CUPE Locals 40, 520, and 5040 held strike training today in Calgary. They are getting ready to fight for better wages, better schools, and a better education system for our students.

STONY PLAIN/SPRUCE GROVE, ALBERTA – Limited job action will start today at Parkland School Division as CUPE Local 5543 asks their 400 members to engage in ‘work-to-rule’ activities.

CUPE 5543 President Wendy Harman said members will be asked to not work beyond the hours they are paid for and to not engage in volunteer activities.

The employees voted 91% in favour of job action last week. The workers join 4,000 striking employees in Edmonton, Sturgeon County and Fort McMurray who are already on strike.

Harman said the action is part of CUPE’s plans to escalate the strike until the Alberta government addresses low wages in the sector. The average educational support worker earns just $34,500 in Alberta.

“This job action is happening because the Alberta government has not acted to address the poor wages of school support workers,” said Harman. “Alberta has the lowest per capita education funding in Canada. It’s inexcusable to leave our members shortchanged and classrooms underfunded.”

Almost 2,000 additional school support workers at four other school divisions have taken strike votes but have not yet served notice to strike.

TikTok · CUPE3550 167 likes, 15 comments. “Mandy had the opportunity to speak to the trustees and superintendent. Hear what she had to say and what she asked of them!”

TikTok · CUPE3550 1081 likes, 29 comments. “This is Grady. Grady is currently not at school. Let’s get a fair contract so he can get back to his school, back to his friends and back to his learning growth.”

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