Parents and advocacy groups have been shouting from the rooftops for years about the damage caused by underfunding and undervaluing support services in public education. Access to the resources needed to facilitate learning in Alberta’s K-12 public education system is nearly impossible for many children and families.
The province requires all school divisions in bargaining to adhere to mandates set by the Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office (PBCO) – an arm of the provincial government – with a PBCO representative physically sitting at most bargaining tables and calling the shots. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, UCP cabinet ministers consistently claim they are not involved in bargaining between school divisions and CUPE. This prompted an open letter from CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill to the Alberta government, denouncing actions and comments that undermine the spirit of the legal bargaining process and demanding it be honest about its role – either admitting it is actively working against CUPE members or allowing them to negotiate in good faith.
“The UCP government is moving public dollars into private schools at an alarming rate, and their intentional neglect of our public education system will have severe and long-lasting impacts on students, families, and ultimately our communities,” said Gill.
On September 17, 2024, CUPE 2559 and CUPE 2545, the two education locals in Fort McMurray, were set to strike when the province intervened by appointing a Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB), forcing the locals into a repeat round of mediation. On October 24, 2024, the province applied the same delay tactic to CUPE 3550, the union’s largest education local in Edmonton. CUPE members held a political protest at the Legislature that day, joined by thousands of union allies, parents, and public supporters in a massive and inspiring show of solidarity. CUPE 4625 in Sturgeon County, just outside Edmonton, saw the writing on the wall and chose to delay their strike notice to wait for the others to complete the DIB process.
“We are in a moment in history here,” said Lynn Fleet, president of CUPE 2545 in Fort McMurray. “In all the years I’ve been with this local, I couldn’t have imagined being out day after day in -30-degree weather, mounting this level of pressure, fighting so hard to get just a little bit of justice for our members, and the students and families who count on us every day. It’s been a wake up call for our community about the kinds of MLAs we elected here, who have so easily turned their backs on working people.”
What began as individual locals bargaining with school divisions has evolved to CUPE’s entire education sector in Alberta taking a stand against the provincial government’s wage mandates and erosion of public education services. The outpouring of solidarity for education support workers from across the province and the country has been unbelievable. CUPE locals far and wide, union allies, parents, disability advocates, local organizations, and small businesses have been showing that this fight goes beyond bargaining – it is about the integrity and value of our public education system and those who make it work. This is one of the biggest battles CUPE has taken on in Alberta in recent history.
