5 groups of education support workers vote in favour of joining Alberta strike

Five more CUPE locals representing over 2,000 education support workers have voted in favour of a strike.

That includes more than 1,100 custodial and maintenance employees in Calgary who voted over 94 per cent in favour of job action.

In a statement, the head of CUPE Alberta says the provincial government needs to improve education funding in next week's budget.

"We've been telling the government that if they don't address the funding problems in our classrooms, the strikes will expand," said CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill.

"They did not address the funding problems, and now the strikes will expand."

Many support workers have not had a wage increase for a decade despite soaring inflation in recent years, a union spokesperson said. 

A joint statement released by the province from Treasury Board President Nate Horner and Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides accused CUPE's national leadership of interfering in local negotiations and using fear tactics and intimidation to block deals. 

"In Edmonton, after nurses were contracted to administer insulin and other medications to medically fragile children, CUPE pressured the nursing agency to withdraw service, forcing those students to stay home," the statement said.

"This pattern of behaviour is disturbing and shows that education support workers who do not yet have a deal will not be permitted to vote on one, under fear of deregistration by union leaders in Ontario."

In Calgary, Local 40's 800 custodial and maintenance employees with the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) voted 94.5 per cent in favour of job action.

And Local 520, representing 350 custodial and maintenance employees with the Calgary Catholic School District, voted 94 per cent in favour of job action.

The CBE said it will prioritize in-person learning during any strike action, and that all schools will remain open. 

Bargaining between CBE and CUPE Local 40 is scheduled for Feb. 12 and 13, the board said. 

Roughly 1,200 EAs and support staff in the Black Gold, Foothills and Parkland school divisions also voted in favour of labour action.

The results are unofficial until validated by the Alberta Labour Relations Board.

More than 4,000 education support staff have been on strike in Fort McMurray and in the Edmonton region since the beginning of January.

CUPE says it will give school districts and the public 72 hours notice before starting any job action. 

"No such notice is being given at the moment," the statement said.