-

Second Edmonton School Trustee Quits, Backs Support Staff

EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the second time since the beginning of a strike by education support workers, an Edmonton Public School Trustee has resigned, citing support for the low paid workers.

On Friday evening, Ward C Trustee Marcia Hole made statements on social media announcing her resignation from the board, and supporting education workers.

In January, Ward D Trustee Trisha Estabrooks resigned from the school district in a similar manner, citing support for the strike and opposition to the provincial government’s underfunding of education.

Education support workers at Edmonton Public Schools have been on strike since January 13, 2025. In total, 6,600 education support workers are on strike at nine different school districts across the province.

CUPE 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux said the resignations speak to the growing consensus around the strike.

“We hear from Trustees, administrators, teachers, parents and students all the time. Everyone agrees that wages are too low, funding isn’t enough, and that the Alberta government needs to act to fix the problems in our classrooms,” said Lamoureux.

“I want to thank Trustees Hole and Estabrooks for standing up for education, and literally putting their jobs on the line to say what everyone is thinking: support workers deserve respect and a living wage.”

:clc/cope 491

Contacts

Lou Arab, Communications Representative
larab@cupe.ca | 780.271.2722

Industry:

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Release Versions
English

Contacts

Lou Arab, Communications Representative
larab@cupe.ca | 780.271.2722

More News From Canadian Union of Public Employees

Chéticamp Long Term Care Workers Vote to Strike

CHÉTICAMP, NS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Workers from Foyer Père Fiset Long Term Care Home, represented by CUPE 2031, voted 93% in favour of a strike mandate, calling for improved wages and recruitment and retention. “Lowest in Atlantic Canada. Those words alone should be enough to motivate the government to meet us at the bargaining table with a fair offer. Our government should want us, should want Nova Scotians, to be leading the way not lagging behind,” said CUPE 2031 President Trevor Poirier. “The...

“We haven’t seen this level of slashing since the Harris years:” new report warns of longer wait-times and declining quality of care as funding cuts squeeze Ontario hospitals

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new report warns that the turn to health care cutbacks in Ontario harken to the period of Mike Harris, as hundreds of job cuts ravage hospitals across the province, prolonging wait-times and delaying patient care. The government recently directed hospitals to plan for two per cent annual funding increases until 2027-28, far less than the six per cent average in recent years. The Ford government’s funding plan will lead to more than 10,000 job losses and reduction of...

CUPE Ontario urges government to change course ahead of 2026 budget

NIAGARA FALLS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn called on the Ford government to reverse course on its budget priorities Thursday, warning that years of underfunding public services have deepened inequality and harmed workers and communities across the province. Hahn spoke at a press conference and later before the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs as part of the 2026 pre-budget consultations. With more than 300,000 members, CUPE Ontario is the largest union in...
Back to Newsroom