The union representing more than 3,000 school support workers in Edmonton says their public school division is having substitute teachers replace its members in the classroom.
School support workers, which include education assistants and cafeteria workers, have been on the picket lines since Monday over a wage dispute with the Edmonton Public School Board.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the EPSB is paying each teacher $230 per day, which is more than the striking members are demanding in contract talks.
Local union president Mandy Lamoureux said Alberta’s government should fund classrooms instead of telling her members to “be happy with poverty level wages” and hiring substitute teachers to do their work.
An Alberta Teachers’ Association spokeswoman did not confirm if substitutes are being used to replace striking workers, but said educators have been consistently told not to do so.
The association says it supports CUPE and that students suffer when school divisions aren’t funded properly.
Support staff with Sturgeon Public Schools, just north of Edmonton, have also walked off the job over similar issues.
