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Yorkton, SASK.: The union representing education workers at the Yorkton Regional High School is recommending members reject the employer’s latest contract offer, stating it does not address their need for wage parity with elementary school workers.

The 35 support staff at the Yorkton Regional High School, members of CUPE Local 2520, have been paid less than their counterparts at the elementary school for years, even though they perform the same work, in the same city, for the same employer.

We’ve made it clear to the York School Division that we are not prepared to allow this inequitable treatment to continue,” says Cathy Wilson, President of CUPE Local 2520, adding “members are fed-up with the second-class treatment.”

High school support workers represented by CUPE earn less than elementary school workers in every classification. In the case of school secretaries, the pay difference is 90 cents an hour; in other classifications such as caretakers the difference is as much as $2.00 an hour.

Although the school division knows that wage parity is a priority for CUPE 2520 members, their last offer only provided annual increases of 2 per cent in 2005 and 2 per cent in 2006.

We want to send a strong message to the employer that ‘enough is enough,’” says Wilson. “That’s why we’re recommending members reject the employer’s offer.”

CUPE Local 2520 members will vote on the employer’s offer on November 2. The results of the vote will be released on Thursday.

Their current contract expired December 31, 2004.

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For more information contact:
Cathy Wilson at 786-5560 or CUPE staff representative Bill Cronin at 529-7680.