Five more locals of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing over 2,000 education support workers, have voted to take job action. They will join over 4,000 education support staff who have been on strike in Fort McMurray and in the Edmonton region since the beginning of January.
The locals represent workers at the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic School District, Black Gold School Division in Nisku, Foothills School Division in High River, and Parkland School Division in Stony Plain. The locals all received strong strike mandates, with four over 90 percent and one at 82 percent.
The union will provide school districts and the public with 72 hours of notice before engaging in any job action.
CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said the strong strike mandate from all five groups is another sign that the Alberta government has to improve education funding in next week’s budget. Alberta has the lowest per-student education funding of any province in Canada.
“We’ve been telling the government that if they don’t address the funding problems in our classrooms, the strikes will expand,” said Gill. “They did not address the funding problems, and now the strikes will expand.”
[Photo: CUPE]
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