Sturgeon Public school support staff will be back at work March 31 after three months on the picket lines.
Some 225 educational assistants and other school support workers with CUPE Local 4625 have been on strike at Sturgeon Public Schools since Jan. 13. On March 20, they voted 80 per cent in favour (with 95 per cent voter turnout) of an agreement to end their labour dispute with the school board. Sturgeon Public trustees ratified the deal that afternoon.
Support workers in eight other school divisions that service Fort McMurray, Edmonton, Parkland County, Calgary, Leduc County, and the Municipal District of Foothills also signed deals to end their strikes last week.
“It’s been a long three months,” said CUPE Local 4625 president Kelly Salisbury.
“The members miss the kids and can’t wait to go back to school.”
In an email, CUPE spokesperson Lou Arab said the new contract gives Sturgeon Public support workers a roughly 20 to 26 per cent raise ($4.85 to $6.37 an hour) from 2020 to 2028. New workers will start at a higher wage, and all workers will get $100 more in their health spending accounts.
Salisbury said the new deal gives members a pay increase that’s a bit above the cap of 2.75 per cent over four years the province had mandated going into negotiations, which should help workers make ends meet without having to work multiple jobs. In exchange, Sturgeon Public support staff will go back to work on March 31 after spring break.
Morinville parent Ashlee Wooldridge said she was ecstatic to hear that the strike was over. She has had to put her business as a nail technician on hold for the last two months to care for her son Bernard, who has not been able to attend his morning Kindergarten classes at Morinville Public as his educational assistant has been on strike. His development has regressed considerably as a result, and he has become much more dependent on her.
“He loves school and he cried every morning because he couldn’t go.”
Wooldridge said her son hopped off the couch and did a happy dance when he heard the strike was over.
“He’s going to be very excited to be able to go and see his friends first thing in the morning on Monday.”
In a letter to families, Sturgeon Public superintendent Shawna Warren said the district looked forward to welcoming its valued support staff back on March 31.
“This has been a difficult period for our entire school community,” she said.
“We recognize the challenges and uncertainty this situation has created, and we are deeply grateful for your patience, resilience, and support throughout this time.”
Salisbury said the new contract was in effect until 2027, at which point the board and union would start work on a new deal.
