CUPE members in three education support locals in Alberta voted overwhelmingly to strike after negotiations with their respective school boards broke down. Despite having the constitutional right to strike, the Alberta government has used anti-worker legislation to appoint a Dispute Inquiry Board, forcing the members of two locals in Fort McMurray and one local in Edmonton into a repeat round of mediation, delaying a legal strike and undermining CUPE members’ constitutional rights.
Members of CUPE 3550 in Edmonton have joined members from CUPE 2545 and 2559 in Fort McMurray in having their right to strike stripped from them by this dirty loophole. Danielle Smith and her anti-worker government have been slashing education funding in the province, making education support workers’ jobs even more difficult. They’re understaffed and underpaid. Instead of being able to focus on providing the support and attention students need, education support workers are being forced to try to manage increasingly chaotic classrooms with fewer and fewer resources. They’re burning out.
As part of this attack on these workers, school boards have been mandated to offer no more than a cap of 2.75% over 4 years in terms of wage increases equalling about 73 cents. Education support workers have been without a raise for over ten years in Alberta, meaning these workers are desperately in need of a fair deal to help them catch up with the cost of living.
CUPE members and allies from across Canada can show their solidarity by sending a letter to the Alberta government demanding they stop suppressing wages for these vitally important workers and respect their right to strike.
