Custodial and maintenance workers reach tentative deal with Calgary Board of Education
Striking custodial and maintenance workers at the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) may soon be back on the job after their union reached a tentative deal with the school board.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced on Tuesday morning that it had reached tentative agreements with both the CBE and the Parkland School Division, west of Edmonton. The agreements, which would end a three-week work stoppage, are for a three-year term ending in August 2028.
More than 1,100 custodial and maintenance workers from Calgary's public and Catholic school divisions went on strike in February, arguing they haven't received a wage increase in years. The striking workers included cleaners, plumbers, tradespeople, facility operators, mechanics and members working on ground maintenance and snow removal.
Members of CUPE Local 40 still need to agree to ratify the deal with the CBE. The union will hold an electronic ratification vote on Tuesday night, with results announced the following evening. If approved, the workers would return to Calgary public schools on Friday.
CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill said on Tuesday that his union's members made it clear throughout the past few weeks they were serious with the school boards and province about needing better wages, which has resulted in new deals for striking education workers around Alberta.
"These have been very long strikes, incredibly tough struggles for our members," Gill said. "But they've maintained their determination, their strength and their solidarity, and it's paying off. It's paying off in decent living wages and proper funding for public education."
CUPE Local 5543, representing Parkland School Division employees, will hold a ratification vote of their own beginning Tuesday afternoon.
More details about the new deals will be released after union members have reviewed them, Gill said. But CUPE noted the agreements are for a wage package higher than what the provincial government originally mandated.
The new agreements follow thousands of education support workers across Alberta reaching a tentative deal of their own with the Edmonton Public, Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts on Saturday. CUPE's agreement with the Fort McMurray school boards was ratified this week, which will bring them back to work on Wednesday.
CUPE 3550 members at Edmonton Public Schools will vote on their tentative agreement on Wednesday. If accepted, the Edmonton public school workers on strike will return to work on Thursday.
Strikes remain ongoing for CUPE workers at the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), as well as the Black Gold School Division in central Alberta and Foothills School Division.
The CCSD said it will meet with striking Local 520 members on Tuesday. Gill said he's hopeful the two sides will reach a deal just like their counterparts at the CBE.
Thousands of education workers have been on strike in Edmonton and Fort McMurray since mid-November. Around the province, CUPE has noted the average education support worker earns $34,500 per year.
Alberta's Minister of Finance Nate Horner and Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides said in a joint statement on Tuesday they were pleased to see, after months of negotiations, education workers will receive raises and return to work if the agreements are ratified.
"The Government of Alberta welcomes the return to normalcy for tens of thousands of students, staff, and families," Horner and Nicolaides said in an emailed statement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
20 hours ago
- CTV News
City inside workers vote 86 per cent in favour of strike action
The City of Windsor's inside workers have voted 86 per cent in favour of strike action. A national communications representative with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has confirmed that the members voted in favour of the strike mandate on June 3. CUPE 543.1 represents over 1,500 inside workers with the city who work in administrative and office settings. The contract between the city and CUPE 543.1 expired over six months ago and while bargaining meetings have been ongoing, the two sides have been unable to reach a deal, prompting the strike vote. CUPE 543.1 posted to social media stating that while they had received a deal that mirrored the agreement with the outside workers - represented by CUPE Local 82 - but that the city then presented an offer that was 'significantly worse' following council direction. Wages remain the key issue in bargaining at this time. Eric Bell, national communications representative with CUPE, said the strike vote doesn't mean a strike will happen. 'They have that mandate from their membership to strike, if necessary,' said Bell. 'The Local is going to be bargaining later this month with the City of Windsor, and they do hope that this sends a strong message to the employer that the membership is united in wanting to achieve a deal that is fair and makes gains for those members.' He said the city had proposed wages that were nearly identical to what the outside workers achieved before presenting an offer with a lower wage increase. 'They're blaming uncertainty and tariffs as a result of why they can't afford to pay those higher wages, but so far the city has not been able to provide any concrete evidence that the tariffs would prevent them from getting members to a deal that is closer to exactly what the outside workers achieved just a few months ago,' he said. He added at this time, there is no strike date set. 'They full would expect to be able to get close to a deal that they deem fair. There is no date effective that they would go on strike just yet, there's several steps that would have to happen before that.' Bell said a number of talks are currently planned throughout the month of June. The contract for the inside workers expired on Dec. 31, 2024. - Written by Meagan Delaurier/AM800 News.
National Post
4 days ago
- National Post
CUPE Alberta Calls on Minister Nicolaides to Prevent Education Crisis After Federal Funding Cuts
Article content EDMONTON, Alberta — CUPE Alberta is sounding the alarm over a looming crisis in the province's K–12 education system as hundreds of educational assistants (EAs) across the province face job losses following the withdrawal of most of the federal Jordan's Principle funding for non-reserve schools. Article content Jordan's Principle is a federal policy intended to ensure First Nations children receive the services they need without delay, including in education, health care, and social services. In Alberta, this funding has helped support educational assistants in public schools, benefiting both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. Article content Article content In a powerful open letter sent to Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides, Wendy Harman, President of CUPE 5543, warned that the cuts would be 'catastrophic' for students with complex learning needs, behavioural challenges, and those on Individualized Education Plans. Article content 'This will devastate our Alberta schools,' wrote Harman. 'Now, we are actively choosing to let more children fall through the cracks, and those cracks are growing into chasms.' Article content Harman cited alarming figures from Parkland School Division, where some schools will see their EA staffing slashed by more than half, dropping from 11 assistants to just 5 for student populations of over 600. 'Our EAs are not 'extras,'' she continued. 'They are qualified professionals who de-escalate crisis situations, manage diverse learning needs, and play a critical role in allowing classroom teachers to teach.' Article content CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal echoed the concerns and called on the provincial government to immediately step in with targeted funding to protect front-line education supports. Article content 'Educational assistants are the backbone of inclusive classrooms,' said Uppal. 'When we cut EAs, we fail students who need support the most. The Minister must act now, because these cuts affect every student in Alberta who relies on additional help to succeed.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Supreme Court sides with Catholic Charities in religious-rights case over unemployment taxes
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court decided Thursday that a Catholic charity doesn't have to pay Wisconsin unemployment taxes, one of a set of religious-rights cases the justices are considering this term. The unanimous ruling comes in a case filed by the Catholic Charities Bureau, which says the state violated the First Amendment's religious freedom guarantee when it required the organization to pay the tax while exempting other faith groups. Wisconsin argues the organization has paid the tax for over 50 years and doesn't qualify for an exemption because its day-to-day work doesn't involve religious teachings. Much of the groups' funding is from public money, and neither employees nor people receiving services have to belong to any faith, according to court papers. Catholic Charities, though, says it qualifies because its disability services are motivated by religious beliefs and the state shouldn't be making determinations about what work qualifies as religious. It appealed to the Supreme Court after Wisconsin's highest court ruled against it. President Donald Trump's administration weighed in on behalf of Catholic Charites. Wisconsin has said that a decision in favor of the charity could open the door to big employers like religiously affiliated hospitals pulling out of the state unemployment system as well. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. The conservative-majority court has issued a string of decisions siding with churches and religious plaintiffs in recent years. This term, though, a plan to establish a publicly funded Catholic charter school lost after when the justices deadlocked after Amy Coney Barrett recused herself. The nine-member court is also considering a case over religious objections to books read in public schools. In those arguments, the majority appeared sympathetic to the religious rights of parents in Maryland who want to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters.
