CUPE Alberta says it was not just Fort McMurray and Edmonton where education support workers were wanting to go on strike. Across Alberta, CUPE Alberta said education support workers are demanding better contracts at the bargaining table. “It’s time for a fair deal,” tweeted CUPE Alberta on Monday. .CUPE Alberta said the government was violating collective bargaining rights by forcing education workers in CUPE Local 2545 and 2559 to a Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB). “The [Danielle] Smith government has demonstrated its total disregard for workers, their rights, and their aspirations for improving the quality of education for Fort McMurray students,” said CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill. “They can pre-empt tomorrow’s strike action, but they can’t destroy the solidarity that CUPE education workers have built in their preparations for this strike.”CUPE Local 3550's strike was scheduled to begin on Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for all work sites in the Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB). “This result shows incredible strength in the membership’s resolve to achieve a fair collective bargaining agreement,” said CUPE Local 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux. The local held its strike vote on Wednesday, leading to 92% of eligible voting members turning out to vote and 97% saying they wanted to go on strike. Strike notice was served on Friday after its strike vote received confirmation from the Alberta Labour Relations Board. With the prospect of 3,000 support staff off the job, Lamoureux said she hopes the Alberta government will recognize its mandated wage caps are the major problem with reaching a deal. The Alberta government said it had appointed a DIB to help the EPSB and its support staff reach a collective agreement. “Alberta’s government is providing another mediator to the parties in this dispute so that there is a full opportunity for the parties to reach a negotiated settlement before a work disruption occurs,” said Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade Minister Matt Jones. Because the DIB was established before strike or lockout action began, the Alberta government said the local cannot strike and the employers cannot lock out employees until the inquiry process concludes. It added negotiations between the two sides can occur when the DIB is in place. If a settlement cannot be reached in the dispute, the EPSB will make a recommendation to Jones.Alberta Institute President Peter McCaffrey joked on September 22 it was great to see CUPE Alberta come out in support of school choice amid a conflict with education workers about wages. .Think tank president says CUPE Alberta should support school choice amid wage dispute .Without school choice, McCaffrey said teachers can only be hired by a government monopoly. “With school choice, they have a choice of hundreds (soon thousands) of different employers, which also helps lift wages!” said McCaffrey.
