Inflation has soared by 30 per cent over the last decade. Local 2559 members have gone without a wage increase for the last nine years.
But their employer has put forward a percentage offer that would only see wages rise a mere $0.46 per hour increase for workers at the lowest end of the pay scale.
This is fundamentally about the quality of education our students receive. Members have had to take on significantly higher workloads to deal with the larger class sizes and the large influx of new students to the province.
This leads to reduced support time that educational assistants can deliver to students who need it most. Many students require one-on-one support.
But many education workers are not given the assignments for direct support that these students require throughout their time in the school system.
While the school board receives that funding for students who need it, they often aren’t using those funds to hire dedicated educational assistants. Direct ties between funding and staffing must be made so students can get the one-on-one supports they need.
Students often aren’t getting the support their parents think they are.
Students need stability in these critical years of education. Our schools are already in dire need of support. We need a deal that provides consistency to both our members and kids, not plans that stand in the way of student success.
WE deserve better. Our KIDS deserve better.
Now, we need your voice. Public pressure can help push employers to make the right decisions.
Send a message to our employers. Demand fair wages and fair conditions for Fort McMurray’s education workers.