Over 2,000 workers from five CUPE locals may soon join the 4,000 educational support workers already on strike in Edmonton, Sturgeon County, and Fort McMurray in Alberta. The strike targets the UCP (United Conservative Party)’s starvation of public education.
On February 12, CUPE announced that five locals have voted overwhelmingly in favour of job action:
- Local 40, Calgary Board of Education (94.5%);
- Local 520, Calgary Catholic School District (94%);
- Local 3484, Black Gold School Division (95%);
- Local 5040, Foothills School Division (82%); and
- Local 5543, Parkland School Division (91%).
These Calgary union locals represent custodial and maintenance workers and educational support workers. Local 5543 in Parkland gave notice of work-to-rule job action (in which workers do only what is specifically required of them and nothing more) beginning February 18th. The remaining union locals will likely give the same notice in the following week.
A major issue concerning the striking workers is wages. The UCP’s “funding formula” mandates no more than 2.75% yearly pay increases, and the school boards all claim they cannot afford more. Alberta has the lowest per-student education funding in all of Canada despite a projected budget surplus of $4 billion.
Many of the strikers have seen no pay increase for ten years. Many work extra jobs and even get help from food banks to try to make ends meet. Low pay means that vacancies are not being filled, which increases the workload and stress for the workers on the job. Burnout is a real problem for educational support workers.
In an unusual development, an Edmonton Public Trustee resigned and joined the picket line the next day. She affirmed that the UCP’s underfunding of public education is the cause of the strikes.
Despite union members voting strongly in favour of job action, the UCP claims that CUPE National is using fear and intimidation tactics to impose its will on its members.
CUPE is pressuring the province to boost funding for public education. The Legislative Assembly of Alberta resumes sitting next week.