Resignation of Trish Estabrooks, Trustee Edmonton Public Schools

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Statement on behalf of Mandy Lamoureux, President of CUPE Local 3550 with Edmonton Public Schools, and Rory Gill, President of CUPE Alberta, on the resignation of Trish Estabrooks as Trustee with the Edmonton Public School Board:

“On behalf of education support workers with Edmonton Public Schools, I’d like to thank Trish Estabrooks for taking a stand for public education. As the thousands of striking workers know, it takes courage to speak up and fight for public education, students, and families. Education support workers on picket lines truly appreciate people like Trish joining them and adding their voices to call for decent wages, good working conditions, and, most of all, respect for frontline workers.

Trish stands with education support workers in their fight for adequate public education funding from the provincial government. Alberta has the lowest education funding in Canada per student. We deserve an education system that serves every Albertan, it will take all of us, including other school board trustees, to stand up and speak out so that the government hears us.”

- Mandy Lamoureux, President of CUPE Local 3550

“Trish served as a Trustee to the Edmonton Public School Board for seven years. In that time, she tried to protect and strengthen public education, but the provincial government simply didn’t provide enough funding. The province holds the purse strings and the only way Albertans can get them to listen is by taking a stand, much in the same way Trish has done.

I call on elected representatives of all stripes and in all roles to speak up for public education. I call on the provincial government to finally listen to people like Trish. Otherwise, Alberta’s families will remember. They’ll remember in the next municipal elections and they’ll remember in the next provincial election.”

- Rory Gill, President of CUPE Alberta

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