SASKATOON, SK - School workers in Viscount employed by the St. Alphonse Roman Catholic School Division are the newest members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The new members include teacher assistants, a secretary and a caretaker.
They will join the other CUPE members employed in the separate school division in Biggar and in Saskatoon. The three school divisions and Humboldt Separate School Division will soon be amalgamating to form the new St. Paul’s Roman Catholic School Division. CUPE will be meeting with employees in Humboldt this fall.
CUPE already represents over 5,000 of the 8,500 school support workers employed in the Catholic and public school divisions in the province. As the deadline for school division amalgamation approaches, that number is growing.
“There’s no question that school support workers are concerned about job security and restructuring as a result of school division amalgamation,” says CUPE organizer Bill Robb. “But they also want to see a more equitable pay system in this female-dominated sector – one that accurately values their work.”
Robb, who is based in the Saskatoon CUPE office, says the union has negotiated many important gains for school support workers, including dental and optical coverage, extended health benefits and pay equity payments.
Robb expects to receive even more calls from education workers next month, when the new school year commences.
For more information, contact:
Bill Robb
(306) 382-8262 or
(306) 222-5594