-

Education support workers strike begins today

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Education support workers at two school districts took job action today starting this morning.

Over 200 employees of Sturgeon public schools (members of CUPE Local 4625) will take rotating job action and work to rule.

Over 3,000 employees of Edmonton public schools (members of CUPE Local 3550) will take full strike action at all schools and other board offices.

CUPE 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux said the workers love their jobs, their students, and their schools, but have been pushed to the limit.

“Some support staff have gone ten years without a cost of living wage increase,” said Lamoureux. “Many of our members work two to three jobs to earn a living wage.”

“Alberta has the lowest funding for education of any province in Canada,” said Lamoureux.

CUPE says job postings at schools are going unfilled due to poor wages. Edmonton Public School Board has a 10% vacancy rate among support staff positions.

People are quitting, no one will take the jobs at these wages. Students and education are suffering, said CUPE 4625 President Kelly Salisbury. “If we don’t take action, a bad situation for students will only get worse.”

:clc/cope 491

Contacts

Lou Arab
larab@cupe.ca |780.271.2722

Industry:

CUPE

Release Versions
English

Contacts

Lou Arab
larab@cupe.ca |780.271.2722

More News From CUPE

Media Advisory - NSCAD Rally

HALIFAX, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Striking Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) workers and their allies are rallying tomorrow, March 13, at 11:00 AM outside NSCAD’s Fountain Campus at Granville Mall in Halifax. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3912 NSCAD Vice President Lachlan Sheldrick and CUPE 3912 President Lauren McKenzie will be available for interviews, along with striking workers, alumni, current undergraduate students, labour movement leaders, and other community su...

With new legal opinion, CUPE Ontario and Ontario NDP challenge Conservatives’ claims on Bill 60 and water privatization

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At a media conference tomorrow, leaders from CUPE Ontario and the Ontario New Democratic Party will challenge Conservative deceptions around Bill 60 and use a recently commissioned legal opinion to expose the Ford government’s plans to privatize publicly owned regional and municipal water systems. They will be joined by Simon Archer, a lawyer with Goldblatt LLP and author of the legal opinion, and Steve Young, a member of CUPE 966. WHO Marit Stiles, Leader, Ontario NDP...

Education Minister Must Immediately Release Back Pay Owed to ECEs: CUPE 4745

HALIFAX, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is calling on the Nova Scotia Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) to take urgent action to ensure Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) receive the back pay they have been owed for months. Despite having earned these wages, ECEs across the province are still waiting because the Department has not authorized the funding to flow to child care centres. Without this authorization, centres cannot issue th...
Back to Newsroom