Education support staff from Regina Public School Division voted in favour of a strike mandate on Tuesday, according to CUPE Local 3766, the union that represents the workers.
Workers aren’t hitting the picket line, but 95 per cent voted in favour of job action, which gives them the option to strike. The vote comes after more than two years at the bargaining table where “little progress has been made,” according to a press release issued Tuesday.
“Our members are already the lowest paid in the school division, and many of us don’t even make a living wage. We have not received a raise in over four years,” Local 3766 president Jackie Christianson said in the release.
According to the press release, there are a number of issues the union is bringing forward, including wages, health and dental benefits, severance and retirement gratuity and occupational health and safety.
“Our members are dealing with complex student needs, facing increasing violence in the workplace, and having to provide more support with fewer resources,” Christianson said.
The union says bargaining has been “challenging” because of funding cuts from the provincial government that have affected specialized student programs, school libraries and cafeterias.
“We have seen firsthand the devastating impact the provincial budget cuts and short-sighted decisions made by the school board have had on students,” Christianson said. “Our schools work because we do. It is time that the Regina Public School Board recognizes this at the bargaining table.”
Global News reached out to Regina Public School Division. They refused to comment at this time.