'Our members are not going to accept that': EAs unhappy with province's offer

CUPE Local 3550 President Mandy Lamoureux speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about negotiations between education support workers and the province being at a standstill.

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Your local, which I understand represents roughly 3,200 educational support workers in Edmonton, voted and was set to strike before the appointment of that dispute inquiry board. What drove your members to being in that strike position?

Mandy Lamoureux: We did have an overwhelming amount of members voting, 92 per cent of them voted, and out of those 92 per cent, 97 per cent voted in favour of strike.

They haven't seen a decent wage increase for the last 12 years, so the cost of living has gone up by 30 per cent and their wage has not met up with that. So the current offer on the table is 2.75 per cent, which is very far away from the 30 per cent.

MH: By the government appointing a dispute inquiry board (DIB), and thus the resumption of mediation, does that not then get the two sides closer to a negotiated settlement?

ML: We did go into formal mediation, and again, it's a government-imposed mandate. So that is currently the only thing left on the table right now and our members are not willing to accept that.

I have a mandate from them to not accept that 2.75 per cent so that's what drove them to striking as high as they did.

MH: You consider this a delay tactic, what makes it so?

ML: Yes I do. We saw what happened to Fort McMurray, that same thing happened to them. We felt like our right to strike was robbed from us.

We've already been through the formal mediation process. We know that we're going to go through the same process and if that mandate is still there, our members are not going to accept that.

MH: Your members are demanding respect for the work they do. What makes that work vital to the education system?

ML: Right now we have a staff shortage of 150 to 200 education assistants (EA). Positions are not being filled daily, so therefore they're having to take on the responsibility of multiple students by themselves.

If an EA doesn't come in one day, another EA has to cover for that one. So they're burning out, they're tired, they're overwhelmed, so they don't feel like they're being respected.

It's hard to hire at this low salary, and it's hard to retain staff at this low salary.

MH: Your local is not alone, as we understand it, support workers in the Sturgeon Public School Division are now in a position to give 72 hours strike notice. What do you see building here?

ML: They're going to probably be imposed of the DIB as well, another delay tactic to stop our right from striking, and so we are working closely with our other local education locals and we all support each other.

MH: Is it just these two Edmonton area locals? Are there more right now?

ML: It's just these two Edmonton locals and Fort McMurray as well are just finishing off their DIB process.

MH: How much progress has been made since the appointment of that DIB last week? Where does that process stand for you?

ML: We are going to follow the process. We are currently gathering all the information we need for that process. We are going to do it the way we're supposed to, and we are hoping that we can get an agreement at the end of all this.

That's our focus and our goal, however, that 2.75 per cent mandate is currently still on the table. I don't see a deal being reached.

MH: What's the likelihood of further school disruption? Disruptions in Edmonton, further walkouts?

ML: After the Dispute Inquiry Board process is said and done, we can serve our 72-hour notice again, and we will be doing that if we need to.