Striking Alberta support workers reaching agreements with school divisions

Labour disputes involving school support workers in Alberta could soon be coming to an end, as the union for employees with the Foothills School Division became the last of nine striking union locals to reach a tentative settlement.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees announced the deal Wednesday afternoon and said members of CUPE Local 5040 expect to hold ratification votes on Thursday and Friday.

Earlier in the day, CUPE said support workers with the Sturgeon School Division had reached a tentative deal with that school board and said members of CUPE Local 4625 would begin voting on it later in the day.

That labour dispute has seen more than 200 school support workers in that school division strike since Jan. 13.

Earlier in the day, a tentative deal was also announced between the Black Gold School Division and its support workers.

In recent days, CUPE has also announced tentative deals for school support workers with the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic School District, Edmonton Public Schools, and Parkland School Division.

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On Wednesday afternoon, CUPE said 93 per cent of members working as support staff for the EPSB voted to accept their settlement, while Parkland School Division staff voted 97 per cent voted in favour of their deal.

Later in the evening, the union said CUPE 40 members at the Calgary Board of Education voted 92 per cent to accept their settlement, and CUPE 3484 members at Black Gold Division voted 87 per cent in favour. Black Gold employees were slated to return to work on Thursday, and CBE staff were to go back on Friday.

On Thursday, CUPE said Calgary Catholic School Division members voted 93 per cent to accept their settlement, and members with Sturgeon School Division voted 80 per cent in favour.

Return to work is scheduled for Monday at Calgary Catholic schools and March 31 at Sturgeon schools.

3:00 New developments in labour disputes involving school support workers in Alberta

The union said there is now only one group of striking education support workers left to ratify an agreement. CUPE Local 5040 members will vote Friday on their settlement with the Foothills School Division.

Deals with Fort McMurray’s public and Catholic school boards have already been ratified.

— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News