As the new school year begins, education support workers in Good Spirit School Division welcome 33 new members who are bus drivers and caretakers.
Eighteen caretakers have become members of CUPE 4784 because the employer agreed to CUPE’s request that they be part of the union representing other caretakers and education support workers in the Good Spirit School Division.
“On behalf of all our members I welcome these caretakers into our union,” says CUPE 4784 Acting President Karla Sastaunik. “As we head into bargaining, I know we’ll all work together to make gains for education support workers.”
The caretakers from the following schools are the newest members of CUPE 4784: Springside School; Saltcoats School; Hoffman School; Langenberg High School; Churchbridge Public School; Macdonald School; Grayson School; M.C. Knoll School; Columbia School; Dr. Brass School and Yorkdale Central School.
They join 150 members of CUPE 4784 who are bus drivers, caretakers, educational assistants, family liaison workers, nutritional assistants, library assistants, central library technicians, administrative assistants, social workers and community school coordinators.
CUPE’s newest local, CUPE 5123, is the result of a recertification vote and certification order issued by the Labour Board on August 20.
The bus drivers were former CUPE 823-4 members who decertified earlier this year. Because of labour legislation passed in recent years, they had to wait a full six months to hold another certification vote – although they wanted to hold another vote immediately. The bus drivers will form a new Local, CUPE 5123. The Local is meeting this week to elect their new executive and bargaining committee.
“We welcome these members back into CUPE,” says CUPE SK Division President Tom Graham. “It’s important that all workers who want to belong to a union have a way to do so quickly and easily, especially in light of the Saskatchewan government’s plan to change labour legislation.”
CUPE 5123’s members ensure that children travel to school and home again safely in Canora, Invermay and Sturgis areas of southeastern Saskatchewan.
Contact:
Dave Stevenson, CUPE National Representative: (306) 525-5874 ext. 231