WAINWRIGHT - A settlement giving CUPE employees the wage increase they were looking for means a strike at the Buffalo Trail School Division will likely end soon.
Margaret Templeton, President of CUPE Local 1606, said the Division has increased its offer to 3.62% in the first year, with wage increases of 3% and 3% in the following two years.
“We are recommending our members take this deal,” said Templeton. “It’s what we were asking for all along - a modest increase that kept pace with the cost of living.”
Templeton expressed pride in her co-workers, who she says surprised school trustees with their determination.
“I don’t think they believed we would go on strike,” said Templeton. “They didn’t have a lot of respect for us, but I think that’s changed now.”
The seven-day strike saw CUPE get support from a number of parents, particularly those with special needs children. Many parents and their children walked picket lines with the employees to show support.
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