Latest news with #RoryGill
CBC
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
CUPE Alberta members celebrate education support workers at annual convention
CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill addressed delegates at the CUPE Alberta 75th Annual Convention on Wednesday. He called strike action at school divisions in the province a win for the union and believes it will provide momentum for future negotiations.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
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.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
New deals signal end of Alberta's school support worker strike
Education support workers who have been on strike for weeks are entertaining new contract offers which could see them soon return to Alberta classrooms. A series of approved and tentative deals have been reached between members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and local school boards, signalling the end of a prolonged labour dispute. The union has been demanding what it calls fair wages for the thousands of support workers it represents across Alberta and began staging strikes two months ago. School support workers include education assistants, librarians, licensed practical nurses, interpreters, cafeteria workers and administration staff. Their absence from classrooms left schools scrambling to fill the gap in staffing and support services, especially for students with higher needs. In a statement Tuesday, union officials said a tentative agreement has been reached for workers at Parkland School District. At Parkland School District, an electronic ratification vote will start Tuesday afternoon among members of CUPE Local 5543, with results to be announced on Wednesday evening. If members approve the agreement, they will be back to work in schools on Thursday, union officials said. CUPE 3550 members at Edmonton Public Schools will vote on their agreement on Wednesday. About 3,000 CUPE 3550 members have been on strike at Edmonton Public since early January. If the members accept the settlement, they will return to work on Thursday. In Fort McMurray, education support workers approved a new contract and will return to work Wednesday. In a statement released Monday night, CUPE said members ratified agreements with the Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts. It comes after 1,000 members in Fort McMurray walked off the job in mid-November. A tentative deal has also been reached for workers with the Calgary Board of Education, the union announced Tuesday. CUPE spokesperson Lou Arab said the union will not be releasing detailed results of the vote. The details of each contract have yet to be released. CUPE officials say the contracts ratified so far are for terms ending in August 2028, and for a wage package higher than what the government initially offered. The details of the collective agreements will become publicly available in the coming days. In Tuesday's statement, CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said he was pleased more school districts are following workers in Fort McMurray and Edmonton in negotiating and approving new deals. "Education support workers have shown great courage and determination," Gill said. "I'm so happy for them that they have won the respect they deserve."
Associated Press
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Deals Reached in Three Education Strikes
EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 15, 2025-- Deals that could lead to the end of a province wide strike by education workers were reached today between CUPE locals and the Edmonton Public, Fort McMurray Public and Fort McMurray Catholic school districts. The settlements, which must still be ratified by CUPE members, would end the strikes at three school districts. About 3,000 CUPE 3550 members have been on strike at Edmonton Public since January 13 and another 1,000 CUPE 2545 and CUPE 2559 members in Fort McMurray have been on strike since mid-November 2024. The settlements do not apply to the 2,600 support workers on strike in Calgary, Sturgeon, Parkland, Foothills and Black Gold school divisions, however, CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill says those locals will be rushing back to the negotiating table as quickly as possible to try to get a deal. 'I'm in awe of the workers in Edmonton and Fort McMurray who stood their ground, in weather as cold as minus 51 degrees, to win a fair contract,' said Gill. 'Their fortitude, their determination, and their solidarity won the day.' 'Education support workers are critical to our school system, and today they finally won the respect they deserve,' said Gill. Gill said CUPE won't be releasing finer details of the settlement until members have had a chance to look at it. However, he did confirm that all three deals have wage agreements that are higher than the original wage mandates imposed by the Alberta government, and all three deals were for a period ending in August 2028. At Fort McMurray Public and Catholic schools, workers will vote on the proposal over a 24-hour period ending on Monday evening. If the proposal is ratified, members will return to work on Wednesday, March 19. There will be no traditional picket lines on Monday or Tuesday. At Edmonton Public Schools, ratification will occur on Monday or Tuesday, and return to work will happen on Wednesday or Thursday. There will be no traditional picket lines in the meantime. :clc/cope 491 SOURCE: Canadian Union of Public Employees Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 03/15/2025 10:30 PM/DISC: 03/15/2025 10:33 PM
CBC
07-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Some Edmonton Public Schools rotate online learning as support worker strike continues
Social Sharing Some schools in Edmonton's public school division are having dozens of students alternate between learning from home and learning online, while the school support worker strike continues. The move follows a recent ministerial order that requires schools to prioritize in-person learning during the labour dispute. Thousands of support workers have been on strike since early January, demanding better wages. Their ranks include educational assistants who support children with disabilities or complex medical needs in the classroom. Edmonton Public Schools was unable to provide the specific number of schools that will be rotating students between at-home and in-person learning. "These decisions are made at the school level and will vary school-by-school, or even class-by-class," a spokesperson told CBC News. "If parents have questions about their own individual circumstances, we encourage them to reach out to their child's school directly." One of the schools rotating students is Michael Strembitsky School in the south Edmonton neighbourhood of Summerside. According to a letter from the principal of the school, the changes will affect Grade 7 and 8 students, who will now participate in a weekly rotation of at-home learning until further notice. In the letter, the principal acknowledged the difficulties the changes pose for families. "We understand this change may raise questions," wrote principal Chad Sheppard. "The ministerial order prioritizes in-person learning for students with specialized needs. This rotation allows us to provide that, while still providing education to all students." Rory Gill, president of the CUPE Alberta Division, says the rotating learning model is not a solution. "There's no need for this. All the government needs to do is lift the wage mandates, lift the funding freezes on public education, and put more money in education," said Gill. "Our folks, if they bargain freely and fairly we'll be back in the classroom very quickly. Schools cannot operate without CUPE education support workers." Some parents expressed frustration with the new learning model, stating concerns over the long-term impact of this arrangement on student learning. "This is not a permanent solution, this is a very damaging temporary solution," said Samar Al-Hajjaj, president of the Michael Strembitsky School Parent Foundation, a group that raises funds for events and programs to help the school "The special needs kids suffered during the time when they were away, and thankfully they are back. But now they're adding another suffering to the Grade 7 and 8 [students]" Al-Hajjaj said the recent changes were communicated with less than a day's notice, making it difficult for families to prepare or adjust. She expressed concern over the lack of effectiveness of at-home learning, referencing students' past struggles with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Some people don't have flexible jobs, not everybody works from home and is able to make those arrangements," she said. The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) also weighed in on the situation. "Switching between in-person and online instruction disrupts student learning," said ATA president Jason Schilling in a statement. "This approach is not a solution. It's teachers and schools once again being forced to hold together a system broken by the missteps and poor decisions of the government."
