Alberta education workers reach tentative deals with 3 school districts

1 month_ago 15

Edmonton·New

The national representing thousands of acquisition enactment workers crossed Alberta has reached a tentative woody with the Edmonton Public, Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic schoolhouse districts.

All 3 deals would springiness the CUPE members a declaration ending successful August 2028

Emily Rae Pasiuk · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 16, 2025 12:46 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Workers with flags and signs clasp a ample banner that says respect portion lasting connected the steps of the Alberta legislature. The signs accidental "we basal together" and "support acquisition workers."

In a connection released Saturday night, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said the deals volition inactive request to beryllium ratified by members and details of the statement volition won't beryllium released until workers person been capable to reappraisal them.

However, the national said the tentative deals see a proviso for higher wages.

About 3,000 CUPE members person been connected onslaught astatine Edmonton Public Schools since January 13 and different 1,000 members successful Fort McMurray person been connected onslaught since mid-November.

With the mean acquisition enactment idiosyncratic earning $34,500 per twelvemonth successful Alberta, the national has said that wages are its main issue.

In Fort McMurray, workers volition ballot connected the projected woody implicit a 24-hour play ending Monday evening and picket lines volition beryllium paused connected Monday and Tuesday. If ratified, members successful Fort McMurray will instrumentality to enactment connected Wednesday, CUPE said.

The national said that for workers astatine Edmonton Public Schools, the ratification vote will hap connected Monday oregon Tuesday and a instrumentality to enactment could commencement connected Wednesday oregon Thursday. No picket lines volition beryllium held successful the meantime, it added.

All 3 deals would springiness the CUPE members a declaration ends successful August 2028.

The settlements bash not use to the 2,600 workers inactive connected onslaught successful the Calgary, Sturgeon, Parkland, Foothills, and Black Gold schoolhouse divisions, CUPE said.

Both schoolhouse divisions successful Fort McMurray posted statements connected their websites.

"Today we are blessed to stock that we were capable to extremity our week negotiating a solution with CUPE Local 2545," Fort McMurray Public School Division said successful its statement.

"Thank you for your grace, patience and knowing ... We admit however hard and prolonged this concern has been for all," reads the Fort McMurray Catholic Schools' statement.

"We are highly grateful that a tentative solution has been recovered that whitethorn bring each students and our valued enactment unit backmost to schoolhouse arsenic soon arsenic possible."

CBC News has reached retired to Edmonton Public Schools for comment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Rae Pasiuk is simply a newsman for CBC Edmonton who besides transcript edits, produces video and reads quality connected the radio. She has filmed 2 documentaries. Emily reported successful Saskatchewan for 3 years earlier moving to Edmonton successful 2020. Tips? Ideas? Reach her astatine [email protected].

With files from The Canadian Press

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