Over 1,000 school support workers in Fort McMurray are on strike, demanding higher wages after a decade without a raise. The union warns the strike could spread across Alberta if the province doesn't increase funding to school divisions.
Roughly 1,000 school support workers have gone on strike in Fort McMurray, and union officials say the strike could spread across Alberta by spring if the province doesn't take action. The main issue is wages, and union members haven't seen a raise in over a decade. School support workers include custodians, administrative staff, tradespeople, and education assistants. The current offer of a three percent retroactive wage increase over four years isn't enough, says Alberta president Rory Gill.
The average salary for education assistants is around $27,000, he said. Gill says workers often need to take two or three jobs to make ends meet. He also warned that the strike could expand to roughly 7,000 workers from 41 union locals across the province in the next eight to 10 weeks if the government doesn't provide more funding to school divisions. Both the Catholic and public school divisions in Fort McMurray acknowledge the right to strike and say their early childhood development programs are on hold. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement that the proposed increases are appropriate and that the union's demands are unreasonable, pointing out that these workers already exceed the western Canadian average. He expressed hope that the union will prioritize students and families by returning to the bargaining table and negotiating a fair and reasonable deal. Gill countered that the province hasn't upheld its end of the bargain, as Premier Danielle Smith promised during the 2023 election to hire more education assistants. He says no one is applying for these jobs because the wages are too low
EDUCATION STRIKE WAGES ALBERTA SCHOOL WORKERS
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