Two days after the Alberta government mandated the Edmonton Public School Board and the union representing its support staff to work with a dispute inquiry board as their labour conflict continues, a protest took place to decry the move.
A large crowd of people, many carrying union signs or flags, could be seen at a demonstration outside the Alberta legislature late Thursday morning.
Until the province forced the two sides to work with a dispute inquiry board, a move made at the EPSB’s request, more than 3,000 educational support staff were set to strike on Thursday. As a result of the provincial government’s actions, workers will not be able to strike for at least 30 days now.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees confirmed in a statement issued Wednesday night that CUPE Local 3550 members would take part in what it describes as a “political protest” on Thursday “in resistance to the provincial government’s low wage mandates and interference in collective bargaining.”
It was not immediately clear how many people in the crowd in front of the legislature were support workers at Edmonton public schools but Global News spoke to some support workers who said they are members of CUPE 3550.
When asked if the job action was prompted by the union itself or its members, the president of CUPE Alberta said “it was entirely from the membership” and said he understands that those members who decided to participate plan to return to work at schools on Friday.
“These folks, after four years of relentless bargaining,” Rory Gill said. “(They) came to a very difficult decision — probably the most difficult decision they have ever had to make in their working lives — not to be at school today.
“They are passionate, they are dedicated. But they are at the point they can’t support themselves. And if they can’t support themselves they can’t support kids. So they made the decision. It was a tough decision and we understand that.”
The EPSB accused CUPE 3550 of advising its members not to report to work.
“After receiving this news last night, principals started making arrangements to support student programming and learning in the absence of support staff,” the school division said in a statement issued to Global News on Thursday.
“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. This is a temporary response to staff being absent from work today.
“The division will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to families and staff as they become available.”
Educational assistant Mandy Lamoureux is the president of the local and indicated the union realizes the protest will impact students and families.
“Members did not come to this lightly,” she said in a statement issued Wednesday night. “They do not feel this government is hearing their pleas to help instead of hinder. They need a fair agreement for themselves and for the students they serve.
“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. It’s not fair for those students least able to advocate for themselves to be the victims of funding shortfalls. We can’t keep watching public education fall apart.”
CUPE said the dispute inquiry board will simply bring about mediation once again and that it believes it is an attempt to delay any potential job action and that it will demoralize its members.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said while the job action is a local matter between the union and the school division, he decried Thursday’s events.
“We are disappointed as the union seems to have chosen to initiate illegal job action. A process was implemented that would provide the opportunity for the parties to continue exploring resolution to their bargaining without need for job action and disruptions to students and their learning,” Nicolaides said in a statement.
“It is our hope that the union considers the impact of this activity on students and families, choose 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.”
Global News has also reached out to the ministry of jobs, economy and trades for a response to the planned protest. This article will be updated if a response is received.
Jason Foster, a professor at Athabasca University who specializes in labour history and policy, told The Canadian Press this week that he also believes the province’s move is a “delay tactic” and noted that the two sides in any labour dispute already are required to go through a mediation process before any strike or lockout can begin.
“The inquiry board is going to do nothing more than what a mediator does,” Foster said. “It’s going to meet with both parties, find out people’s positions, and then they’re going to write up a report — writing up what they think a resolution might be.
“All we’re doing is replicating what the parties have already gone through.”
The provincial government also brought in a dispute inquiry board last month when support workers at public and Catholic schools in Fort McMurray were poised to strike.
“It’s a political protest. Their right to strike has been suspended,” Gill said while speaking at Thursday’s protest. “I don’t think this government has any intentions of letting any workers in this province go on strike. They will use whatever tools are available to them.”
Members of several other unions also attended Thursday’s protest. Sandra Azocar, executive vice-president of Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, said her union is taking note of the province mandating the use of dispute inquiry boards.
“They’ve done it to the workers in Fort McMurray, They did it to the workers here in Edmonton, and it’s a track record that we’re already seeing,” she said. “So we’re prepared for a fight and we know that the only way we’ll be able to get anything is if we are out here, sending a message.”
The majority of Local 3550 members are educational assistants, but the union also represents support staff like clerks, administrative assistants, speech-language pathologist assistants, librarians, food preparation staff, licensed practical nurses, and technicians.
The union says its educational assistants in Edmonton public schools have seen little wage growth over the past 12 years and currently earn around $27,000 to $30,000 a year.
The same offer is on the table for both Local 3550 members and CUPE Local 474 members, who are EPSB custodial workers. The latter voted to strike last week but has not yet served notice.
The offer called for a 2.75 per cent wage increase over four years — broken down as zero increases in the first two years of the collective agreement, followed by 1.25 and then 1.5 per cent.
— with files from Karen Bartko, Global News and Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press