Sisters and brothers and friends.
Many of you have reached out to me in the last 24 hours and asked me where we’re at with our campaign to Support Education Workers in light of Local 474 ratifying an agreement.
Yesterday a vote was held for custodial workers in Edmonton Public Schools on a memorandum of agreement and it passed. There are 40 other education sector locals yet to go for this period of bargaining.
I’m really proud to tell you that tens of thousands of working Albertans are standing together and working together – right across our province. Our education support sector is more united and coordinated than we have ever seen before. And we have the public across every community standing with us like never before. We’re seeing an unprecedented expression of solidarity – in the face of an unprecedented crisis.
We are strong and we are not backing down in this fight for a properly funded and publicly delivered school system in our province. We will increase pressure on the provincial government in whatever ways are necessary to get workers a fair raise that supports their families, so they can continue to do the important work of making it possible for all children in Alberta to have access to a quality public education. Those are the stakes for our communities – the future of our schools. That’s why we have never been so united and so determined to get a fair deal for education workers in Alberta.
Our sisters and brothers and friends in Fort McMurray are out in front, and I want them to know that thousands and thousands more education workers are close at hand to join you.
Our solidarity is our strength – and that strength is growing every day.
Remember to send people to SupportEducationWorkers.ca because our province-wide campaign is gearing up to bring the fight right to this government’s front door.
I’m inspired to see thousands of people working together with such passion – and we are going to get a better deal for education workers in Alberta – together.
Rory Gill
President, CUPE Alberta