In less than 48 hours, Edmonton Public Schools support staff plan to walk off the job. This comes after a nearly unanimous strike vote, and more school staff may be following them out.
If no deal is reached by 7 a.m. Thursday, workers are set to strike. This means classrooms, libraries and offices could look different at Edmonton Public Schools.
“Without a real wage increase — a real wage increase that allows them to support themselves — they can’t go forward. These folks have tried everything. It’s not just the last four years, it’s the last 10 years, trying to find some justice, some economic justice for this work,” Alberta CUPE president Rory Gill said.
CUPE Local 3550 represents 3,200 workers, including educational assistants, administrative assistants and librarians.
The union says over the past 12 years, these workers have seen raises of $1.08.
“Twelve years ago, these jobs were sustainable. People could support themselves and they could best support the kids that they were helping to educate. That’s not the case now,” Gill said.
Local 474, representing around 900 Edmonton Public School custodians, also held its strike vote on Oct. 17 and 20. CUPE says those results have yet to be certified.
“But all indications are from that vote is there’s a very strong-minded strike mandate,” Gill said.
Edmonton parents tell Global News they’re watching these negotiations closely.
“We as parents cannot work right, we cannot work effectively if our kids are not in school and if they’re not being taken care of. (Support staff) do a very important role in supporting teachers,” Tolu Olateju said.
“I do hope that they can come to some sort of agreement and that people in power listen and do something about this.”
Other parents say with inflation and the cost of living rising, it’s getting harder for people to afford everyday items.
“Grocery prices and pretty much everything is going up. Normal people are feeling the pinch,” Kamlesh Sahu said.
In a statement to Global News, Edmonton Public Schools says the division has been bargaining with CUPE Local 3550 since 2022.
“While we respect the right of support staff to strike, we are disappointed this action will impact our classrooms. We remain committed to bargaining and finding a resolution that avoids further disruption,” the statement read.
It went on to say that contingency plans are in place and will be shared with families this week.
Gill says the local members hope to be back in the classroom soon.
“Nobody is doing this work for the money, nobody is doing it to make a lot of cash. They’re doing it because they care about kids,” Gill said.
Currently, educational assistants in Edmonton Public Schools make around $27,000 to $30,000 a year.