Purple worn in Sylvan Lake to campaign for higher wages of educational support staff

According to the Government of Alberta, EAs make roughly $20.58 per hour, working an average of 27 hours a week, totalling a yearly salary of $26,388.

Coreen Spencer, campaign supporter and current educational assistant on leave at RDCRS, says that EAs in the division work around 32.5 hours a week.

READ: Educational support staff at Red Deer Catholic barred from wearing union shirts which highlight ‘shockingly low’ pay

According to Statistics Canada, low-income cut-offs in 2021 for one person in a city with a population from 100,000 to 499,999 is $23,549 before tax. The union claims that factoring inflation, the current poverty line in Alberta is around $26,550.

“[Support staff are] there because they’re dedicated to the children. They’re not there for the money or for glory at all but they’re dedicated to helping the little ones with whatever they need. That dedication is not being repaid at all. They are, some of them, working two to three jobs to try and make ends meet for their own families. We know across the province from some internal surveys that many of our support staff are needing to use food banks themselves in order to supplement their households and their children and it’s not acceptable,” she said.

Schaan adds that per student funding in Alberta is lower than any other province in the county, at just $10,896 according to a letter by the Aberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) in December 2022.

She also references the ATA’s Fall 2022 research study that found four in 10 Alberta teachers have class sizes over 30 students, surpassing the provincial guidelines for students per educator ratio, which is between 17 and 27, depending on the grade.

While Schaan confirms they are currently bargaining for a new collective agreement, which expires at the end of 2022 for the RDCRS, CUPE says they are asking for a $2 per hour wage increase every year for four years.

She adds that low wages for employees have direct impacts on the students through fatigue and burnout.

Schaan says that while provincial funding for schools may have increased, it is not enough when factoring inflation that has caused costs to simultaneously increase.

Alicia Beauchamp, a parent of two at the school, says EAs should be recognized for their work and empathises with workers on how they can focus on their jobs with financial stress.

“My kids need extreme support within the school. I find it’s very challenging to do what I do as a mother and when I see educational assistants, the job they do is exactly what I do at home, which means a lot of work. It’s not something easily done; it’s a lot of emotional support, it’s a lot of physical work,” she said, having one child with special needs.

She says with only one EA in the classroom, it has been a struggle seeking extra support for her son, who is non-verbal and uses a speech device, and finding new support for her daughter.

Another parent at the school, Deborah Wiens, says she worries that her son, who must undergo testing for dyslexia, may also not receive sufficient supports of 30 minutes a day, one-on-one, with an EA, recommended by her pediatrician.

“We say the children are our future but then we’re not providing them the supports that we need in order to let them all flourish,” she said, adding there isn’t enough staff for the demand. “We just need to work at getting qualified educational assistants in those classrooms to support not only the students but the teachers and to make sure that they have the best start in life as they can. They deserve that and so do all of Albertans, as parents, as citizens, because these kids are the ones that are going to be taking care of us as we get older.”

Jalene Tweedle, former Alberta NDP candidate for Red Deer-North and candidate for Red Deer Public Schools trustee but speaking on her own behalf, said support staff do critical work with vulnerable students and complex learners.

“It’s inexcusable when we’re in such a wealthy province but it comes down to the amount of funding that we’re willing to commit to education,” she said. “If we truly believe in public education and serving our students, we need to serve the people that work for them as well.”

Peggy Wright, Alberta NDP Critic for Labour, issued the following statement:

“The Alberta NDP is proud to support Purple Shirt Day and we stand with the working Albertans who help educate our children and support their learning, each and every day.

“Educational assistants, administrative personnel, custodial workers, bus drivers, and more — all play a critical role in supporting the education of students, keeping our classrooms clean and our schools open.

“We’re proud to wear purple today in support of these workers and their right to bargain for a fair wage. We believe anyone working a full-time job in Alberta should be able to support their family, put food on the kitchen table and keep the lights on in their home.”

rdnewsNOW reached out to the Government of Alberta and RDCRS for comment but did not hear back in time for publishing.

by Alessia Proietti

Purple worn in Sylvan Lake to campaign for higher wages of educational support staff

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