Support staff with the Sturgeon School Division in Alberta have voted overwhelmingly to join CUPE.
“The results shows the desire of the membership to tap into the extensive resources that CUPE has to offer,” says Phyllis Ledingham, president of the former bargaining unit. “Nothing beats the power of people working together.”
The 164 Sturgeon employees will join 1600 members in CUPE Local 3550, which represents support workers with the Edmonton Public School Board.
“Workload is a big issue for all our members,” says CUPE Local 3550 president Trudy Grebenstein.
“Given the lack of funding support for public education by the provincial government, education support workers are finding it increasingly difficult to deliver the quality of service we are committed to providing. In CUPE we are taking aim at the workload and funding issue by raising public awareness and lobbying the provincial government,” said Grebenstein.