A strike by thousands of school support workers in Alberta is poised to get bigger as unions for two more divisions reach an impasse.
Staff from the Edmonton area, Sturgeon County and Fort McMurray have been picketing for weeks over a wage dispute with their employers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees now says about 900 support staffers from the Parkland School Division and the Black Gold School Division could join strike action after having reached a bargaining impasse.
Parkland is west of Edmonton and includes schools in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and the surrounding rural Parkland County.
Black Gold is south of the city and includes schools in Leduc, Devon, Beaumont, Calmar and the surrounding Leduc County.
The union said CUPE education workers with Local 3484 (Black Gold School Division) and Local 5543 (Parkland School Division) have exhausted efforts to come to an agreement with their employers and wages is the main sticking point for both locals.
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Local 5543 president Wendy Harman said her 430 education support workers members are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet and says it’s time for Alberta’s government to properly fund public education.
“The wage offer from the employer is simply too low. Many education support workers have to work multiple jobs,” added Local 3484 president Denise Jakubowski.
“Alberta cost-of-living increases over the last few years means workers are financially stretched thin to the point where they can’t afford to do the important work of helping students.”
Rory Gill from CUPE Alberta has said Alberta could see a provincewide strike by the spring if the government doesn’t act.
Spokesman Tony Clark says the local representing Edmonton workers returned to the bargaining table Thursday but could not land a deal.
“The province hasn’t lifted its wage mandate for the school board. Bargaining will continue on Monday,” Clark said in a statement Friday.
— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News