Educational support staff protest UCP MLAs during rally in downtown Fort McMurray

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Striking educational support staff brought their protest to UCP MLAs Brian Jean and Tany Yao during a Wednesday protest in downtown Fort McMurray.

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As more than 200 protesters marched towards the offices of the Fort McMurray Public School Division (FMPSD), some protesters passing the Franklin Avenue constituency office shared by Jean and Yao left handwritten messages on the windows accusing them of ignoring their cause.

Plans to protest Jean and Yao at a Thursday evening speakers’ event ended when the event was cancelled. But protest leaders blame the Alberta government for not properly funding education in Fort McMurray and across the province, and say they will continue protesting Jean and Yao.

“With inflation and the cost of living up here, none of us are living comfortably,” said Brad Peake, a maintenance worker with FMPSD, at Wednesday’s protest.

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“All we’re asking for is fair wages at a time when inflation is kicking in and everything’s going up,” said Behzad Medhora, another FMPSD maintenance worker at the protest. “We’re just asking for fair wages, something that we can support a family with. That’s the Canadian dream.”

Yao said in a brief Thursday interview that Alberta is struggling to accommodate large population growth and is hopeful both sides can reach an agreement. A spokesperson for Jean did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

More than 1,000 educational assistants, librarians, administrative and maintenance staff, and custodians have held rolling strikes at Fort McMurray’s Catholic and public schools since Nov. 13. Talks have failed to restart between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Fort McMurray public and Catholic divisions.

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CUPE says members are exhausted from working in schools they say are crowded, poorly staffed and badly funded. The Catholic and public superintendents have made the same arguments in separate interviews on topics unrelated to the strike.

CUPE Local 2559 members have not had a raise since 2015. Members of CUPE Local 2545 were last given a slight 1.25 per cent raise in 2020. CUPE argues pay has not kept up with inflation and says many workers’ annual salaries are below minimum wage. CUPE members have overwhelmingly rejected offers on two occasions.

FMPSD says CUPE’s demands are “fiscally impossible,” and would cost $7.8 million retroactively and $3.4 million this year. FMPSD’s financial reserves are dwindling while FMCSD’s operating reserves ran dry at the end of the last school year.

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A Thursday statement from the FMPSD board of trustees says an auditor has found an overall deficit of $1.8 million for the 2024-25 academic year. Board-funded capital projects caused a draw on operating reserves of $1.7 million. There is $4.9 million in reserves.

FMPSD trustees have also voted in favour of potentially locking out striking staff, although staff have not been served with this notice. 

Families of students with special needs urge parties to make a deal

CUPE first announced which schools they would be walking out of during the prior weekend. To make it harder for schools to adapt by hiring temporary contract workers, these announcements are now made the previous night.

Both school divisions have told special needs students to stay home on days when educational assistants are picketing and not in classrooms. More families with special needs children are urging the province to increase funding and for both parties to reach an agreement.

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Mitchell Carter, who has a daughter with ADHD and dyslexia at Dave McNeilly Public School, accused schools of discriminating against students like his daughter by not accommodating their disabilities during the strike.

“A strike does not exonerate the school board of the duty to accommodate. If a school is to remain open for non-disabled students, access must also be granted for students with disabilities,” he said.

“To date, the school boards have done absolutely nothing to even suggest any accommodation or alternative for the students that have been told they have to stay home – they are simply missing school and falling behind, not to mention being stripped of their right to an education.”

Holly Lucier has a five-year-old daughter on the autism spectrum. She is non-verbal, has severe receptive and global delays and has sensory processing disorder.

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Lucier supports the striking workers because she argues the province has failed to properly support educational support staff. However, Lucier does not work when her daughter’s school is impacted because it is hard to find child care.

“I’d like to see the education minister pay attention to the needs the education workers are outlining and actually come to the table with a reasonable offer for funding that adequately meets the needs of the children and their workers,” said Lucier.

“That would put an end to the strain on workers, improve conditions for the students and support vulnerable kids that are being overlooked right now.”

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Notes left by educational support staff and their supporters on the downtown Fort McMurray constituency office for UCP MLAs Brian Jean and Tany Yao on November 27, 2024.

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vmcdermott@postmedia.com

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