Education Support Workers Refuse to Submit to Province’s Intimidation Tactics

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CUPE 3550 members are collectively participating in a political protest today October 24th in resistance to the provincial government’s low wage mandates and interference in collective bargaining.

“Members did not come to this lightly. They do not feel this government is hearing their pleas to help instead of hinder. They need a fair agreement for themselves and for the students they serve.”

This member-driven decision came after several townhall-style meetings and long conversations within the membership. The members say this is about the integrity and sustainability of Alberta’s education system. It’s also about being able to feed their own family after giving everything they’ve got to supporting the children of families in their community at school.

As the president of the Local, and an educational assistant herself, Mandy Lamoureux knows very well that this will have an impact on students and families. “Members did not come to this lightly. They do not feel this government is hearing their pleas to help instead of hinder. They need a fair agreement for themselves and for the students they serve,” stated Lamoureux.

Lamoureux said, “Members have to do what is right in their heart and for the vast majority of them that means standing up for themselves and their students. It’s not fair for those students least able to advocate for themselves to be the victims of funding shortfalls. We can’t keep watching public education fall apart.”

The local was set to begin their strike on October 24th when the province jumped in on October 22nd with the appointment of a Dispute Inquiry Board to force the Local into mediation all over again. This same process was imposed in Fort McMurray with two CUPE education support Locals resulting in nothing more than delays and employer attempts to demoralize and discourage the membership.

“These members voted to be on strike. This is how this stage of bargaining works. But their government is blocking them. Their own government is working doggedly against them. It’s cruel and wrong from representatives who are supposed to be serving the best interests of these everyday working people of Alberta,” said Rory Gill, President of CUPE Alberta.

 

Contact

Jocelyn Johnson
Communications Representative
780-700-5592

 

CUPE Local 474 Edmonton Public School Support Workers Vote in Favour of Strike

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October 21st and 22nd, 2024

Edmonton Public School custodial staff in CUPE Local 474 held a strike vote in person over two days on October 17th and 20th. The membership of roughly 900 voted decisively in favour of taking strike action by 97%. After confirmation of the final results by the Alberta Labour Board, the Local is now in a position to give 72-hour strike notice.

President of CUPE Local 474 Barry Benoit said, he had anticipated this strong result, having heard consistently from the membership that “issues around respect, wages, and benefits have to be addressed for an agreement to be acceptable.”

This is the second CUPE Local in Edmonton Public to take a strike vote, following CUPE Local 3550’s strike vote on October 16th. This is the first time in the history of both locals that members are overwhelmingly willing to take strike action. “We are very determined to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement,” said Benoit. “We are, as we have always been, open to getting back to the table to consider an offer we can recommend to members if it properly addresses the issues.”

Contact: Jocelyn Johnson
Communications Representative
Phone #: 780-700-5592

 

The Province is using the Alberta Labour Code to Hammer Down Already Struggling Workers

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The Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade is, again, using an obscure piece of the Alberta Labour Code to restrict the right of education support workers to take job action by imposing a Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB) on CUPE Local 3550. A DIB is not a neutral third party with authority to prescribe a fair deal. As long as the Alberta government continues to impose a low wage mandate on the school board, this delay tactic will not be helpful in reaching a deal.

Mandy Lamoureux, President of CUPE Local 3550 said “The province’s bargaining directive on the board has precluded us from getting to a fair deal, and this shows they’re not interested in what’s fair. They’re putting their foot on the scale instead of just their thumb. They are leaving no room to negotiate.”

“This impasse created by the Government of Alberta’s inference in collective bargaining is not going to be fixed by them further interfering in collective bargaining,” said President of CUPE Alberta, Rory Gill.

The bargaining process is intended to be about finding a fair balance between the needs of the workers and the needs of the employer. In this case, both sides are stuck with the province in the middle setting the terms. “The province claims not to be involved in bargaining with CUPE, but they are exactly the problem,” said Gill.

“We know this government recognizes the crisis in education; they’re making announcements about new schools and staff. The reality is, though, that we aren’t going to be able to get those skilled workers and keep them if they have to work short-staffed for poverty wages,” said Lamoureux.

CUPE Alberta President Tells Province To Avoid Bullying Education Workers Set To Strike

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CUPE Local 3550 members are set to go on strike on October 24th, but their employer, Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB), has advised they intend to make a request to the Alberta government to impose a Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB).

CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill sent a letter to Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones asking the Alberta government to respect the bargaining process by removing provincial wage directives and letting the parties negotiate in good faith. Gill states in the letter, “there are no outstanding issues between EPSB and CUPE Local 3550 that could be resolved by a DIB as long as the government’s wage mandate remains in place.”

This provincial stall tactic was used recently against education support staff in Fort MacMurray to prevent members of CUPE Locals 2545 and 2559 from being able to begin their strike. The DIB resulted in no movement or alternate proposals and simply prolonged the impasse for educational support workers in Fort McMurray. “We see imposing a DIB while maintaining wage directives as an attempt to bully CUPE members into taking the government’s wage mandate,” the letter states.

Gill urged the minister not to interfere with the constitutional right to strike, stating that if the government imposes a DIB at the request of EPSB “it will be obvious that the government is acting in bad faith and has no respect for free collective bargaining.”

Click here to read the letter to Minister Jones

Press Release

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CUPE Local 3550 Edmonton Public School Support Workers Set to Begin Strike on October 24th.

EDMONTON, Alberta – CUPE Local 3550’s strike will officially begin on Thursday, October 24th, 2024, from 7am-5pm for all work sites at Edmonton Public schools.

“This result shows incredible strength in the membership’s resolve to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement.”

The Local held their strike vote on October 16th, 2024 resulting in 92% of eligible voting members turning out to vote with 97% voting in favour of taking strike action.

“This result shows incredible strength in the membership’s resolve to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement,” said CUPE Local 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux.

Strike notice was served on October 18th, following the Local’s strike vote receiving confirmation from the Alberta Labour Board.

With the prospect of 3000 support staff off the job, Lamoureux hopes the provincial government will recognize their mandated wage caps are the major problem getting in the way of being able to settle a deal. “Shortfalls in public education funding and mandated low wages have to stop. This is not sustainable. Poverty wages will not help recruit and retain the skilled professionals we need in our schools,” she said.

The Local has seen an outpouring of support from the public, Lamoureux added. “Education support staff know how much our work means to students and families, and we’re deeply grateful for the advocacy from the community alongside us to stand up for an education system that’s properly funded and properly supported.”

Contact

Jocelyn Johnson
780-700-5592

 

CUPE Locals 3550 and 474, Collectively Representing Over 4000 Education Support Staff in Edmonton Public Schools, to Hold Strike Votes Following Employer’s Refusal to Move From Provincial Wage Caps

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Members of the CUPE Local 3550 Bargaining Committee were invited back to the bargaining table by the Edmonton Public School Board on the morning of October 15th, less than 24 hours before the beginning of their strike vote set to be held virtually starting at 6:00 am on October 16th.

“We know our membership needs to see more, given the years of rising cost-of-living, increasing workloads, and understaffing they have been enduring. Our bargaining committee is very committed to achieving a fair deal.”

The employer made a verbal offer to extend the contract from 4 years to 8 years. Unfortunately, nothing changed in the employer’s position to hold wages to the provincial government’s cap of 2.75% over the first 4 years. “That’s about 70 cents over 4 years,” said President of CUPE Local 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux. “It’s not enough.” The wage rate proposed for the additional 4 years also fell far short of being sufficient to correct the gap in wages that has developed over the last decade.

“We know our membership needs to see more, given the years of rising cost-of-living, increasing workloads, and understaffing they have been enduring. Our bargaining committee is very committed to achieving a fair deal,” said Lamoureux.

This last-minute verbal proposal is an obvious attempt to dissuade members from a strike. “It is a strong-arm effort to lock us into terms they hope we will accept out of fear. It would prevent us from bringing any other items onto the table in the next round. This is not a situation we are prepared to accept,” said Lamoureux.

CUPE Local 474 has also been invited back to the bargaining table ahead of their strike vote taking place in person over two days on October 17th and 20th. It is anticipated that the same offer to extend the length of the contract made to Local 3550 will also be made to Local 474.

Local 474 President Barry Benoit explained that “health, safety, and respect for the work it takes to keep schools running are important to custodial staff, but the overwhelming issue is wages having fallen so far behind. He added “members are also concerned our benefits are at a lower level than any other staff group in Edmonton Public Schools.”

Education support workers have seen strong demonstrations of unity within their memberships and an enormous outpouring of support from the public. Parents are speaking out about the critical role education support plays in the safety and learning of their children at school, local businesses across the province have offered in various ways, and dozens of other unions are committing to join picket lines if strikes occur.

“The provincial government needs to recognize that their mandated wage caps aren’t acceptable, and they need to recognize it very quickly if they want to avoid a strike in Edmonton Public schools,” said Rory Gill, President of CUPE Alberta.

Contacts

Jocelyn Johnson
780-700-5592

 

Province Needs to Get Their Thumb Off the Scale in Collective Bargaining

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CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill sent an open letter to Alberta Minister of Finance and Treasury Board Nate Horner demanding the province stop interfering in the union’s collective bargaining.

You can read the letter here:

Provincial Interference in Collective Bargaining Ltr_

While Alberta government ministers and their spokespeople consistently claim they have no involvement in bargaining with CUPE, there are examples of their direct influence at every single school division bargaining table.

“It’s time for the premier and her cabinet ministers to admit their low wage mandates aren’t acceptable, won’t be tolerated, and need to be rescinded,” said Gill.