It seems like new union negotiations and strikes are popping up more and more. From WestJet to Canada Post to Edmonton Public Schools, it can be difficult to understand why strikes happen. In the case of Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) support staff’s current strike, it can be hard to see anything other than disruptions and inconveniences for students, but those close to the unions say there’s more to the story.
How do strikes work?
Before striking, a union goes to collective bargaining. “It’s employees collectively working together to improve their working conditions,” stated Shauna MacDonald, NAIT Academic Staff Association (NASA) President. During collective bargaining, a union—on behalf of employees—works with an employer to negotiate a contract.
If an impasse is reached during collective bargaining, a union will go to formal mediation, which is required before a union can strike. Mediation involves a union, an employer and an unbiased third party.
If formal mediation doesn’t work, a union can apply for a strike. 72 hours’ notice is required before a strike begins, and all union members will vote on whether a strike should happen.
Why are Edmonton Public Schools support staff striking?
Represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), support staff in EPSB includes educational assistants and administrative workers. Support staff have not had a collective agreement contract with their school board since 2020, and CUPE is hoping the strike will secure one they deem fair.
“Alberta has the lowest per capita education funding in the country,” said Lou Arab, Communications Representative for CUPE, in an interview with the Nugget. “And our support staff have not had a realistic wage increase in 10 years.”
In addition, CUPE is hoping a wage increase will help maintain their workers. “There’s a 10 per cent vacancy rate for support positions,” said Arab. “They can’t get people to do the job.”
How could this affect NAIT students?
“The strengthening of the workplace that unions fight for raises the floor for everybody,” explained MacDonald. “10 years ago, the wages in Alberta were 20 per cent higher than the Canadian average…now we’re third [in the country.]”
NASA is currently in the process of collective bargaining, and MacDonald emphasizes the impact of good working environments on students. “Happy staff, happy students,” she said. “We’re trying to help ourselves because we really care about students.”
As of Thursday, CUPE is back at the bargaining table with the provincial government and it is unclear when the strike will end. If you’d like to show your support for CUPE, Arab suggests visiting your closest picket line and visiting supporteducationworkers.ca for more information.
“When you see people out on a picket line, that’s their last resort,” stated MacDonald. “[Think] to yourself … what is going on that has made them hit this point?”
