CUPE rally against low wages at Alberta legislature in Edmonton

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Educational assistants and support staff at Edmonton’s largest school division did not show up for classes Thursday and instead rallied in front of the Alberta legislature to protest against low wages and the province’s decision to approve a dispute inquiry board.

In a Wednesday night news release, CUPE local 3550 said after several town halls, members collectively decided to rally. The decision boils down to low wages and the sustainability of the education system.

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Katherine Washburn has been an educational assistant for 18 years. She said it’s been 10 years since she’s had a raise.

“It’s my passion to support those children (with disabilities) but now is the time when we need support so that we can continue to support those children,” Washburn said.

At the rally Thursday, Washburn said it didn’t come as a surprise to her that the province approved the dispute inquiry board (DIB) but said the decision is “very upsetting.”

CUPE local 3550 president Mandy Lamoureux said she understands the impact the rally will have on students and families without educational assistants and support staff in schools.

“Members did not come to this lightly. They do not feel this government is hearing their pleas to help instead of hinder. They need a fair agreement for themselves and for the students they serve,” Lamoureux said. “It’s not fair for those students least able to advocate for themselves to be the victims of funding shortfalls. We can’t keep watching public education fall apart.”

Parents told support staff would be absent

Carrie Rosa, a spokesperson with Edmonton Public Schools, said in an email to Postmedia that the board was aware that CUPE local 3550 executives had advised their members not to go to work on Thursday and advised parents of children who require support staff to stay home.

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“After receiving this news last night, principals started making arrangements to support student programming and learning in the absence of support staff. In some circumstances this included contacting families of students who require support staff for safety reasons, advising them that for their safety, they should stay home,” Rosa said.

“This is a temporary response to staff being absent from work today.”

CUPE local 3550 served strike notice to Edmonton Public Schools on Friday but on Tuesday the school board’s application for a DIB was approved by the province, which means both CUPE local 3550 and the board are forced back to the bargaining table.

Edmonton Public Schools superintendent Darrel Robertson said the board applied for DIB on Monday and said the intention was to provide an opportunity to return to the bargaining table to find solutions with a third party. In a letter to parents and families on Tuesday following the approval of the DIB, Robertson said the board remains “committed to reaching an agreement with CUPE local 3550.

But even with the intervention of DIB, that does not guarantee that CUPE local 3550 will not strike if mediation is unsuccessful.

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If a deal cannot be reached, the board will make a recommendation for settlement to Jobs, Economy and Trade Minister Matt Jones. Both parties will then have 10 days to notify the minister whether or not they have accepted.

In the event that either one or both of the parties does not accept the recommendation, the labour relations board will conduct a vote of the party that did not accept. If the recommendation is rejected again, workers can again declare a strike with 72-hour notice.

Kathleen Shearer, a parent to a child with special needs at Edmonton Public Schools, said she is in full support of CUPE members striking citing her son would not have the development he’s had without the help of educational assistants.

She was shocked to hear the school board’s decision to keep students who require an educational assistant or support staff at home. Shearer said while she understood difficult decisions had to be made, the decision is “othering kids who are vulnerable.”

“I’m a pediatric nurse. We see lots of kids with special needs come through our clinic, and it is a diverse population that comes through who do not necessarily have access to the same things that I do in terms of child care. And so now you’re asking these parents also to take time off,” Shearer said.

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Custodial staff ponder strike

The labour relations board also approved the strike vote held by CUPE local 474, the union representing custodial staff at Edmonton Public Schools, on Tuesday. The vote saw 97 per cent of members voting in favour of strike action. In-person voting took place Oct. 17 and Oct. 20, with 70 per cent voter turnout.

CUPE local 474 has not yet served a strike notice to the school board.

In a statement to Postmedia, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said this was a local matter between the union and the division.

“We are disappointed as the union seems to have chosen to initiate illegal job action. A process was implemented that would provide the opportunity for the parties to continue exploring resolution to their bargaining without need for job action and disruptions to students and their learning,” Nicolaides said.

“It is our hope that the union considers the impact of this activity on students and families, choose to discontinue what seems to be an illegal strike, and go back to the bargaining table with their local school board and work towards a deal that is fair and reasonable.”

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