CALGARY, ALBERTA – Two more CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Calgary Catholic and Sturgeon School Divisions.

CUPE 520 members at the Calgary Catholic School Division voted 93% to accept their settlement. CUPE 4625 members at Sturgeon School Division voted 80% in favour. Return to work is scheduled for Monday at Calgary Catholic schools and March 31 at Sturgeon schools.

There is now only one group of striking education support workers left to ratify an agreement. CUPE Local 5040 members will vote tomorrow on their settlement with the Foothills School Division.

CALGARY, ALBERTA  – Two more CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Calgary Board of Education and the Black Gold School Division.

CUPE 40 members at the Calgary Board of Education voted 92% to accept their settlement. CUPE 3484 members at Black Gold Division voted 87% in favour. Return to work is scheduled for tomorrow at Black Gold and Friday at the Calgary Board.

There are now ratified agreements at:

Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545)
Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)
Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)

There are tentative settlements in the following districts:

Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Sturgeon Public Schools (CUPE 4625)
Foothills School Division (CUPE 5040)

Calgary – CUPE Local 5040 has reached a tentative agreement with Foothills School Division, marking the last of nine striking school divisions to reach settlements.

Meanwhile, two other CUPE locals have voted to accept tentative agreements, ending strikes at the Edmonton Public School District and the Parkland School District.

CUPE 3550 members at Edmonton Public School District voted 93% to accept their settlement. CUPE 5543 members at Parkland Division voted 97% in favour. Both groups will return to work tomorrow.

CUPE 5040 expects to hold ratification votes tomorrow and Friday. If the agreement is accepted by members, they will return to work Monday.

Later today, CUPE will release the results of voting on tentative agreements with Local 40 (Calgary Board of Education) and Local 3484 (Black Gold School Division).

There are now ratified agreements at:

Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559).
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545).
Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)

There are tentative settlements in the following districts:

Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)
Foothills School Division (CUPE 5040)
Sturgeon School Division (CUPE 4625)

MORINVILLE, ALBERTA – CUPE Local 4625 and the Sturgeon School Division have reached a tentative settlement in the strike that has been ongoing since January 13.

Voting will open later this morning for over 200 education support workers to ratify the settlement. We expect a result tomorrow by mid-day. If the members approve the agreement, they will return to work on March 31, after spring break.

This leaves Foothills School Division as the only striking education local without a settlement. CUPE 5040 and Foothills are bargaining today.

There are now tentative settlements in the following districts:

Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)

Ratification results are expected today at CUPE 40, CUPE 3484, CUPE 3550, and CUPE 5543.

There are two ratified agreements at:

Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559).
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545).

LEDUC, ALBERTA – CUPE Local 3484 and the Black Gold School Division have reached a tentative settlement in the strike that has been ongoing since February 24.

The 570 members will vote on the settlement tonight. If the members approve the agreement, they will return to work on Thursday.

There will be no traditional picket lines today. The workers will be participating in a community clean-up.

There are now tentative settlements in the following districts:

Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550)
Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543)
Calgary Board of Education (CUPE 40)
Calgary Catholic School District (CUPE 520)
Black Gold School Division (CUPE 3484)

There are ratified agreements at:

Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559).
Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545).

CALGARY, ALBERTA – The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 520 has reached a tentative agreement with the Calgary Catholic School District.

The deal, like others reached this week, is a four-year agreement ending in August 2028. The wage settlement is higher than the provincial government mandate.

CUPE 520 will hold its ratification meeting on Thursday. If members agree to the settlement, employees will return to work on Monday morning.

There are now tentative agreements at Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550), Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543), and ratified agreements at Fort McMurray Catholic Schools (CUPE 2559) and Fort McMurray Public Schools (CUPE 2545).

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Tentative agreements were reached between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the Parkland School Division and the Calgary Board of Education.

The agreements, like those negotiated in Edmonton and Fort McMurray, are all for a term ending in August 2028, and for a wage package higher than the original government ‘mandate.’

In Fort McMurray, CUPE members ratified collective agreements with both the Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts. Workers expect to be back at work in both Fort McMurray districts on Wednesday.

CUPE 3550 members at Edmonton Public Schools will vote on their agreement on Wednesday. If the members accept the settlement, they will return to work on Thursday.

At the Calgary Board of Education, an electronic ratification vote will start tonight among members of CUPE Local 40, with results to be announced Wednesday evening. If members approve the agreement, they will be back to work on Friday.

At Parkland School District, an electronic ratification vote will start tonight among members of CUPE Local 5543, with results to be announced in the evening on Wednesday. If members approve the agreement, they will be back to work in schools on Thursday.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said he was happy that more school districts are following the pattern set in Fort McMurray and Edmonton.

“Education support workers have shown great courage and determination,” said Gill. “I’m so happy for them that they have won the respect they deserve.”

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Tentative agreements between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and two Fort McMurray school districts were ratified tonight.

CUPE members ratified collective agreements with both the Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts.

Workers expect to be back at work in both Fort McMurray districts on Wednesday.

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – Deals that could lead to the end of a province wide strike by education workers were reached today between CUPE locals and the Edmonton Public, Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts.

The settlements, which must still be ratified by CUPE members, would end the strikes at three school districts. About 3,000 CUPE 3550 members have been on strike at Edmonton Public since January 13 and another 1,000 CUPE 2545 and CUPE 2559 members in Fort McMurray have been on strike since mid-November 2024.

The settlements do not apply to the 2,600 support workers on strike in Calgary, Sturgeon, Parkland, Foothills and Black Gold school divisions, however, CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill says those locals will be rushing back to the negotiating table as quickly as possible to try to get a deal.

“I’m in awe of the workers in Edmonton and Fort McMurray who stood their ground, in weather as cold as minus 51 degrees, to win a fair contract,” said Gill. “Their fortitude, their determination, and their solidarity won the day.”

“Education support workers are critical to our school system, and today they finally won the respect they deserve,” said Gill.

Gill said CUPE won’t be releasing finer details of the settlement until members have had a chance to look at it. However, he did confirm that all three deals have wage agreements that are higher than the original wage mandates imposed by the Alberta government, and all three deals were for a period ending in August 2028.

At Fort McMurray Public and Catholic schools, workers will vote on the proposal over a 24-hour period ending on Monday evening. If the proposal is ratified, members will return to work on Wednesday, March 19. There will be no traditional picket lines on Monday or Tuesday.

At Edmonton Public Schools, ratification will occur on Monday or Tuesday, and return to work will happen on Wednesday or Thursday. There will be no traditional picket lines in the meantime.

MEDICINE HAT, ALBERTA – Members of CUPE 829 at the Medicine Hat Public Schools have rejected a so called “final offer” from their employer.

The vote, conducted by the Alberta Labour Relations Board at the request of the School District, was completed over the last two days.

Results (unofficial):

Yes: 20.9%
No: 79.1%

Total votes: 235 (out of 274 eligible).

The school district offer was a 3% wage increase per year, over a four year period. This is the provincial government ‘wage mandate’ rejected by CUPE locals on strike in other parts of the province.

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said he was pleased with the results and pleased “that members of Local 829 voted in solidarity with other education workers across the province.”