STONY PLAIN/SPRUCE GROVE, ALBERTA – Limited job action will start today at Parkland School Division as CUPE Local 5543 asks their 400 members to engage in ‘work-to-rule’ activities.

CUPE 5543 President Wendy Harman said members will be asked to not work beyond the hours they are paid for and to not engage in volunteer activities.

The employees voted 91% in favour of job action last week. The workers join 4,000 striking employees in Edmonton, Sturgeon County and Fort McMurray who are already on strike.

Harman said the action is part of CUPE’s plans to escalate the strike until the Alberta government addresses low wages in the sector. The average educational support worker earns just $34,500 in Alberta.

“This job action is happening because the Alberta government has not acted to address the poor wages of school support workers,” said Harman. “Alberta has the lowest per capita education funding in Canada.”

“It’s inexcusable to leave our members shortchanged and classrooms underfunded.”

Almost 2,000 additional school support workers at four other school divisions have taken strike votes but have not yet served notice to strike.

Local will begin work to rule campaign next Tuesday.

STONY PLAIN, AB/SPRUCE GROVE, AB – A group of over 400 educational support workers will serve a 72-hour strike notice today to their employer, the Parkland School Division. The employees, members of CUPE Local 5543, voted 91% in favour of job action this week.

CUPE 5543 President Wendy Harman said the union expects to begin ‘work to rule’ actions on Tuesday, February 18^th. Members will be asked to not work beyond the hours they are paid for, and not to engage in any volunteer activities at their jobs.

The workers join 4,000 striking employees in Edmonton, Sturgeon County and Fort McMurray who are already on strike.

Harman said the action is part of CUPE’s plans to escalate the strike until the Alberta government addresses low wages in the sector. The average educational support worker earns just $34,500 in Alberta.

“Many of our members work two to three jobs to earn a living wage.” said Harman.

Harman says her local faces ‘mandates’ from the provincial government limiting wage increases to less than inflation.

“The impact of the provincial policy of starvation wages on the classroom is staggering,” said Harman. “No one will take the jobs at these wages, it’s hard to replace sick employees, students and education are suffering.”

Harman noted that education funding in Alberta is lower than every other province in Canada.

“It’s a hard decision to vote to strike,” said Harman. “But doing nothing will make a bad situation in classrooms even worse. We’re taking action to protect education.”

Harman says CUPE will give parents and students as much notice as possible.

Almost 2,000 additional school support workers at four other school divisions have taken strike votes but have not yet served notice to strike.

Five more CUPE locals representing over 2,000 education support workers have voted to take job action.

These results are unofficial until validated by the Alberta Labour Relations Board.

The groups include:

Local 40, Calgary Board of Education (800 custodial and maintenance employees), voted 94.5% in favour of job action.
Local 520, Calgary Catholic School District (350 custodial and maintenance employees) voted 94% in favour of job action.
Local 3484, Black Gold School Division (570 EAs and support staff employees) voted 95% in favour of job action.
Local 5040, Foothills School Division (300 EAs and support staff employees) voted 82% in favour of job action.
Local 5543, Parkland School Division (400 EAs and support staff employees) voted 91% in favour of job action.

CUPE will provide school districts and the public with 72 hours notice before engaging in any job action. No such notice is being given at the moment.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the strong strike mandate from all five groups is another sign that the Alberta government has to improve education funding in next week’s budget. Alberta has the lowest per-student education funding of any province in Canada.

“We’ve been telling the government that if they don’t address the funding problems in our classrooms, the strikes will expand,” said Gill. “They did not address the funding problems, and now the strikes will expand.”

Over 4,000 education support staff have been on strike in Fort McMurray and in the Edmonton region since the beginning of January.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill issued the following statement today in response to a news release from two ministers of the Alberta government:

“The outrageous statement posted by the Alberta government today is full of falsehoods and baseless attacks.

The UCP government that repeatedly claims it is not involved in bargaining with education support workers is very quick to comment on the matter and involving itself to an unprecedented level.

Once again, rather than step up to the plate and negotiate a solution to the classroom problems they have caused, the government chooses a smear campaign.

Local 829 in Medicine Hat was put under administration for reasons unrelated to bargaining. The former executive chose to meet with the school district after being informed they were put into administration. Therefore the deal they signed has no force or effect. However, the Administrator will pursue bargaining with that school district until further notice.

The timing of the UCP attack is to draw attention away from five strike votes happening right now, and the release of recent polling data showing UCP supporters don’t even side with the government when it comes to the strike and education issues.

Other falsehoods in the statement:

• There is no injunction from the Alberta Labour Board preventing picketing. Rather, CUPE and the school district entered into an agreement that picketing would not delay school buses. This is a normal part of the labour board’s role in helping unions and employers reach agreements during labour disputes.
• “Nurse Next Door” withdrew from offering services to Edmonton Public Schools after claiming they didn’t realize they would be replacing striking workers. Not due to pressure from CUPE.

Alberta has the lowest per-capita education funding in Canada. Instead of engaging in smear campaigns, the government should come to the table, and address the issues that their lack of funding has provided.”

Background:

On February 5, 2025, at 9:11 am MST, CUPE Local 829 was placed under administration by CUPE.

On Feb 5, 2025, at about 09:21 am, Local 829 President Sharon Stoltz was informed of the administration.

On Feb 5, 2025, at about 10:00 am, the former bargaining committee signed a proposed memorandum of agreement with the Medicine Hat Public School Division.

“Administration” is a process set out in Article 7.8 of the CUPE Constitution. When a local is placed under Administration, the administrator has immediate authority over the local’s affairs, and all executive members and committees are disbanded.

An opinion survey conducted by Environics Research for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) shows a high level of support for striking education workers. The support is evident among both the general Alberta public and (perhaps surprisingly) among supporters of the governing United Conservative Party (UCP).

Over 4,000 education support workers are on strike in Fort McMurray and in the Edmonton region. Five more groups are taking steps toward going on strike soon.

Environics research surveyed 1,002 Albertans, including 421 who indicated they were current supporters of the UCP. The online survey was conducted January 9-22.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill says he’s not surprised by the support among UCP supporters, as he has heard from many Albertans who are shocked to learn how poorly paid education workers are.

“Premier Smith and her Ministers should pay attention,” said Gill. “Their own supporters are worried about the state of education, and the lack of resources being put into classrooms.

Gill noted that when asked to pick a side between striking workers and the UCP government, a majority (53%) of UCP supporters picked education workers, while only 28% picked their party of choice.

“The public understands that these job actions are happening because the Alberta government has not addressed the poor wages of school support workers,” said Gill.  “Albertans understand that education workers have to stand up for students and education. Parents and others are cheering them on and joining them.”

BACKGROUND:

Q: Education workers in Alberta are underpaid and deserve wage increases.

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
AGREE	74%	61%
DISAGREE	16%	26%
UNSURE	10%	13%

 

Q: The Alberta UCP government is right to impose a wage cap that prevents school divisions from giving education workers a raise. They need to keep a lid on spending.

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
AGREE	27%	37%
DISAGREE	61%	51%
UNSURE	13%	13%

 

Q: If wages for education workers are kept this low, we won’t be able to attract or retain the people we need in our understaffed education system.

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
AGREE	77%	67%
DISAGREE	16%	26%
UNSURE	7%	8%

 

Q: If we keep underpaying education support workers eventually we get what we pay for and students will suffer.

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
AGREE	78%	67%
DISAGREE	16%	27%
UNSURE	6%	6%

 

Q: Decent pay and working conditions for education workers are a key to having a higher quality education system for our kids.

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
AGREE	81%	79%
DISAGREE	12%	19%
UNSURE	6%	6%

 

Q: If there were to be a job action by education workers in Alberta against the UCP government, whose side would you be on?

	General public (n=1,002)	UCP supporters (n=421)
Totally/mostly on the side of the education workers	68%	53%
Totally/mostly on the side of the UCP government	15%	28%
UNSURE	17%	19%

 

St. Albert – The union representing over 200 educational support workers at Sturgeon Public School Division is announcing they will escalate job action tomorrow.

Employees at the school division walked out for two hours this morning but went back inside for the rest of the day.  As of tomorrow, all members of CUPE Local 4625 will be on strike until there is a settlement.

CUPE 4625 President Kelly Salisbury explained that the union wanted to give the school division and the provincial government one last chance to fix the educational funding problems.

“Alberta has the lowest education funding in Canada,” said Salisbury. “Educational support workers have not had a meaningful wage increase in 10 years, a period of 30% inflation.”

Salisbury said employees are forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. She says the poor wages make it difficult for school divisions to hire and retain staff.

“People are quitting, no one will take the jobs at these wages. Students and education are suffering,” said CUPE 4625 President Kelly Salisbury. “If we don’t take action, a bad situation for students will only get worse.”

EDMONTON – Education support workers at two school districts took job action today starting this morning.

Over 200 employees of Sturgeon public schools (members of CUPE Local 4625) will take rotating job action and work to rule.

Over 3,000 employees of Edmonton public schools (members of CUPE Local 3550) will take full strike action at all schools and other board offices.

CUPE 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux said the workers love their jobs, their students, and their schools, but have been pushed to the limit.

“Some support staff have gone ten years without a cost of living wage increase,” said Lamoureux. “Many of our members work two to three jobs to earn a living wage.”

“Alberta has the lowest funding for education of any province in Canada,” said Lamoureux.

CUPE says job postings at schools are going unfilled due to poor wages. Edmonton Public School Board has a 10% vacancy rate among support staff positions.

People are quitting, no one will take the jobs at these wages. Students and education are suffering, said CUPE 4625 President Kelly Salisbury. “If we don’t take action, a bad situation for students will only get worse.”

CUPE will continue to escalate across the province until the UCP takes action

EDMONTON – Two groups of education support workers will serve strike notice today. The groups are both locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Job action may begin as soon as next Monday.

CUPE Local 3550 represents over 3,000 educational support staff at the Edmonton Public School Board. CUPE Local 4625 represents over 200 staff of the Sturgeon Public School Division.

Over 1,000 education support workers in Fort McMurray have been on strike since November.

CUPE 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux says the action is part of CUPE’s plans to escalate job action until the Smith government addresses low wages in the sector. Lamoureux says the average educational support worker earns just $34,500 in Alberta.

“Some support staff have gone ten years without a cost-of-living wage,” said Lamoureux. “Many of our members work two to three jobs to earn a living wage.”

Lamoureux says CUPE locals across the province have been bargaining since 2020, but face ‘mandates’ from the provincial government limiting increases to less than inflation.

“The impact of the UCP policy of starvation wages on the classroom is staggering,” said Lamoureux. “People are quitting, no one will take the jobs at these wages, and students and education are suffering.”

Lamoureux noted that there are currently 261 vacancies for support positions at the Edmonton Public School Board, roughly 10% of all positions.

CUPE 4625 President Kelly Salisbury said the situation was similar in her school district.

“It was a hard decision to vote to strike,” said Salisbury. “But doing nothing will make a bad situation for students even worse in the long run. We need to take action now to protect education in Alberta.”

Lamoureux said it is unclear how school districts will react to job action. However, she noted that during a one-day protest in the fall, principals called parents of special needs students and told them not to come to class.

“We are trying to give parents as much notice as possible,” said Lamoureux. “We know we’re putting them in a tough position, but we feel we have waited long enough and we have to act for the long term benefit of the students we love so much.”

FORT MCMURRAY – Striking school support workers at Fort McMurray Public and Catholic school districts will expand their job action starting Tuesday.

The strike which began November 13, 2024, has up until now been rotating job action. As of Tuesday morning, all members of CUPE Locals 2545 and 2559 will be on strike and the strike will continue until a contract is settled.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the expansion of the job action is due to the fact the provincial government has not acted to address the poor wages of school support workers.  The average school support worker in Alberta earns just $34,500.

“The wages of these workers haven’t improved in over a decade,” said Gill. “They need a substantial increase to make up the ground lost to inflation.”

Gill warned that if the Alberta government doesn’t act soon, other workers at other school districts will follow soon.

The Fort McMurray locals want to give notice to parents and students who will be impacted by the escalated job action. Efforts were made to push the job action past the holidays.

“We understand the impact this will have on students, especially special needs students,” said Gill. “However, students are being negatively affected by high turnover of staff. A good education requires well paid, satisfied support staff.”

EDMONTON – a group of 285 employees of Edmonton Public School District voted to join the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3550.

In an Alberta Labour Board vote last week, the group of employees voted 73.4% to join the union. They will join other non-teaching employees at the district as part of CUPE.

The new CUPE members include specialized support workers in areas of diversity, including adaptive physical education, assistive technology, audiology, deaf or hard of hearing, education behaviour, English as another language, intercultural, mental health, occupational therapy, physical therapy, reading, sexual orientation and gender identity, speech-language pathology, psychology, school family liaison, social work, vision and braille.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the workers joined the union after efforts to collaborate with the employer were not solving their issues.  Gill said the workers wanted to unionize to give them a collective voice at the table regarding workplace issues.

“As part of the largest union in Canada, these workers will have all the resources and strength CUPE has to offer,” said Gill.