(rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

wiped out fort mac job action a concern

CUPE members hold ‘day of action’ for educational assistants and support staff

Sep 21, 2024 | 3:50 PM

Union locals representing educational assistants, custodians and other educational support staff at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools and Red Deer Public Schools held a day of action on Saturday to call for change on multiple fronts.

On one hand, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is demanding better wages from employers, that being the school divisions; and asking for a solution to workplace safety concerns.

Meantime, there is worry after the provincial government this week halted CUPE job action in Fort McMurray before it even began. It’s believed this could have a ripple effect on bargaining for these workers across Alberta.

Turner Purcell, national servicing representative for CUPE, spoke to rdnewsNOW at the Sept. 21 ‘Day of Action’ event.

“We want people to understand the conditions these workers are operating in. I think the fact they have to come out here is indicative of how bad things have gotten,” says Purcell.

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“It’s not just about the wages which have not kept pace with inflation over the last 15 years, but other things like violence in the workplace and the lack of a safety plan. Class sizes have gotten much larger, and so has the amount of work custodians and maintenance staff have to do.”

In referencing violence in the workplace, Purcell means that some students pose unique challenges, but clarifies that their blame is not placed on said students.

He says the union is trying to come up with a creative solution to that issue, perhaps by further limiting how many students one educational assistant should be responsible for.

On wages, these workers have had one wage increase in the last decade, he notes.

This past Monday, the Alberta government utilized legislation to force back to work, teachers who were set to strike the next morning in Fort McMurray.

Purcell says that decision represents a pivotal moment for all.

“It could go either way; people will either feel really demoralized by the government stepping in and putting its thumb on the scale of bargaining, but it could also produce momentum towards galvanization.”

Purcell says if the government were to repeatedly do this, even though in the Fort McMurray local’s case, they took all the proper steps prior to job action, it would put the government itself at risk.

“There would be public backlash. Eventually, it would become clear to the public what they’re doing, and the process of free collective bargaining would no longer be a process you could call free.”

Deborah Schaan, president, local 417 (Catholic), shared her concern on the potential precedent.

“They followed everything they were supposed to, according to the Alberta Labour Relations Board, in serving strike notice and that kind of stuff. We are allowed to strike as long as we follow the rules,” she says.

“Members democratically voted in favour of a strike and it was taken away from them. Definitely, we’re heading into bargaining and what happened there is overshadowing our process. How do we get a fair shake even on the first day we’re at the table when we know that right could be taken away?”

Both Red Deer locals begin bargaining this week.

Meantime, just about every educational support staff-representing CUPE local in Alberta is in the early stages of or is about to begin bargaining with their respective school divisions.

There is a wage disparity between divisions, representatives from the two Red Deer locals say. They question why that is since each division gets the same amount of funding per student.

But Purcell surmises that perhaps with all locals bargaining simultaneously, it could lead to more harmony pay-wise from one division to another.

“We are dealing with a mandate that specifically outlines how much money a division can pay these folks. That mandate comes from the provincial government,” Purcell says.

“When it comes to where we should place the stress on in terms of who has to make change, my thought is that the divisions’ hands, as it stands, are tied.”

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