Over 70 CUPE education workers are gathering in Manitou for their annual conference to discuss the recent provincial budget, growing violence in the workplace, bargaining trends and how cuts are impacting student supports.
Notably absent from the speaker’s list is Minister of Education, Dustin Duncan, who was invited to speak directly with education workers but declined.
The conference kicks off on Wednesday with greetings and a presentation from the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU). Thursday’s confirmed speakers include Samantha Becotte, President of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation, Matt Love, NDP Opposition Education Critic, and Andrėane Chėnier, CUPE National Health and Safety Officer.
CUPE’s annual Saskatchewan Education Workers’ Steering Committee conference is taking place from May 3-5, 2023 at Manitou Springs Resort in Watrous.
The media is welcome to attend the conference and media spokespeople will be available for interviews.
CUPE represents close to 7,000 education support workers in the province of Saskatchewan. Our members are caretakers and maintenance staff who keep your schools clean and safe. They are education assistants, library technicians, and teacher aides who are there every day supporting children as they learn. They are school bus drivers who make sure kids get home from school safely. They are administrative assistants, tech support and many others who make sure the schools run smoothly. They are social workers, nutrition workers, community school coordinators and trained specialists who provide extra support for children with higher needs.