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Sturgeon Public support staff poised for strike

Union calls for living wage
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STRIKE SOON? — Sturgeon Public School support workers were poised to go on strike as of Oct. 29 over poor wages. They, much like these education workers at the May 11, 2024, Waging Ahead Rally in St. Albert, called on the province to pay school support workers a living wage. KEVIN MA/St. Albert Gazette

Hundreds of Sturgeon Public support staffers are poised to go on strike this month as they demand the province pay them a living wage.

CUPE Local 4625 members voted 94 per cent in favour of strike action on Oct. 25, with 93 per cent of members participating in the vote. The Alberta Labour Board confirmed the results of the vote on Oct. 29, allowing the union to go on strike with 72 hours notice.

Local 4625 is the union that represents about 250 educational assistants and support staff in Sturgeon Public Schools. The union’s current collective agreement expired in 2020; it has been in talks for a new one since 2022.

Local 4625 president Kelly Salisbury said the union had not issued a strike notice as of Oct. 30, and hoped it would not have to take that step.

“This is our last resort,” she said, adding that members wish to minimize disruptions to the classroom.

“We just want to get a fair deal for our workers.”

Seek living wage

Salisbury said union members want Sturgeon Public to pay them a living wage. Workers have gone eight years without a raise and have seen their purchasing power fall significantly over that time. Starting wages for union members were now as low as $17.87 an hour — far below the $23.80 an hour the Alberta Living Wage Network says a St. Albert resident needs to cover basic expenses. Some members are working two or three jobs or turning to food banks as a result.

“They got into these jobs because they love working with children, but unfortunately because they have to work two or three jobs it’s affecting their own children at home because they’re not around.”

Sturgeon Public officials did not respond to a request for comment on the strike vote by press deadline.

In an Oct. 21 letter to parents, the Sturgeon Public board said the board was offering (as recommended by a mediator) a 3.25 per cent wage increase over four years (2.75 retroactive to Feb. 1, 2024, and 0.5 per cent as of Oct. 1, 2024). It also offered to restructure the pay grid to five steps from six to allow those at the bottom to start at a higher wage, a $100 increase to the health spending account, and the ability to carry over one additional personal leave day.

“We are aware that 99 per cent of public sector negotiations for this time period have been settled for a 2.5 to 3 per cent wage increase — less than the 3.25 per cent recommended by the mediator,” the letter reads.

In an Oct. 21 email, Sturgeon Public spokesperson Lauren Walter said administration was still working out how a strike would affect school operations.

CUPE 4625 is one of several Alberta unions representing education workers now poised to go on strike. CUPE locals representing workers in the Edmonton Public, Fort McMurray Catholic, and Fort McMurray Public districts passed strike votes earlier this year, but were ordered by the province to go through another round of talks through a dispute inquiry board, delaying any strike action.

Salisbury said it would be frustrating if the province ordered the union to go through a similar delay.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to achieve fairness.”


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
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