Edmonton educational staff walk off the job, joining thousands at protest for better wages

EPSB staff protest during strike delay School support workers, and other unionized workeers, protested at the legislature, calling for better wages and more respect.

Some Edmonton public school support staff walked off the job Thursday morning, after the province stepped in on Wednesday to prevent strike action.

Cupe Local 3550, which represents educational support staff in Edmonton public schools, said members chose to participate in a political protest against provincial wage mandates and what they called "interference in collective bargaining."

CUPE Local 3550 members voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action on Oct. 18, after wage negotiations with the school board stalled.

The Edmonton Public School Board applied for an Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB), a third-party process to help with bargaining, and was granted one by the province on Wednesday.

Because it was approved before strike action, members were prohibited from striking before the inquiry was complete.

The union has called the DIB a delay tactic.

On its website Thursday, the union explained that members agreed collectively to take part in the day of protest, despite the impact it would have on students.

"Members have to do what is right in their heart and for the vast majority of them that means standing up for themselves and their students," said union president Mandy Lamoureaux said in a release posted on the CUPE Local 3550 website.

"We had a strike, and we were not allowed to do our strike," said one CUPE Local 3550 member at the rally, who said the DIB will not solve the current bargaining impasse.

"It's the wage cap that we're fighting against," she continued. "We did this because we wanted to show them at least we have the right to do a protest."

EPSB confirmed in a statement that it was made aware Wednesday night that those educational support staff would not be coming to work the next day.

"After receiving this news last night, principals started making arrangements to support student programming and learning in the absence of support staff," EPSB wrote in a statement.

"In some circumstances this included contacting families of students who require support staff for safety reasons, advising them that for their safety, they should stay home."

In a statement Thursday, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the province was disappointed in the union's decision to have staff leave work, and reiterated previous statements that the dispute is "a local matter between the union and the school division."

"It is our hope that the union considers the impact of this activity on students and families, choose [sic] to discontinue what seems to be an illegal strike, and go back to the bargaining table with their local school board and work towards a deal that is fair and reasonable," Nicolaides wrote.

'Time for some respect'

Cupe Local 3550 members joined thousands of other Alberta unionized staff gathered outside the legislature building for a rally for fair wages

Nurses, provincial employees, public employees, paramedics, teachers, educational support workers and University of Alberta staff were among those in attendance.

"They have a message for the provincial government, and that message is that it's time for some respect," said Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.

McGowan said the province has been offering workers a 7.5-per-cent wage increase over four years, which he said is less than half the increase in the cost of living.

"We're here to say to this government that what they're offering – disrespect and wages that don't keep up with inflation – that's just not acceptable," he added.

Shannon Epler attended the rally with her son William, who is in Grade 7. She said William needed to stay home because there was no educational assistant (EA) at the school because of the day of protest.

She said she was proud of the staff for standing up for themselves, as they're critical for children like her son.

"He cannot do writing or anything without an EA and honestly, they're the lifeline for our kids," she said. "We need them in the classrooms, and they need to be treated a lot better than they are, because they are so, so important for our kids."

The right to strike is protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, and McGowan and CUPE Local 3550 accused the province of using DIB's to undermine collective bargaining.

"We're not going to let this government strip working Albertans of their workers' rights," McGowan said. "If we lay down then all workers in this province are going to suffer.

"Instead, we're going to stand up, push back, fight for workers rights and make sure that all Albertans get the raises that they need to keep up with inflation."

CTV News Edmonton has reached out to the Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade and is awaiting a response.

The Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones declined a request for an interview.

 With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti