Living Waters Catholic School support workers begin strike

 

By Vicki Winger

 

As of Friday, September 28, the support workers employed by Living Waters Catholic Regional Division No. 42 went on strike. The strike affects both École St. Mary and École St. Joseph schools in Whitecourt, two schools in Slave Lake, and the two schools in Edson. Approximately 120 support worker staff began picketing outside their schools at 6 a.m. before coming together and picketing in Whitecourt at the Regional Division head office. The picketing drew many people to stop or drive by honking horns in support of the strike.

 

Rod Feland, Vice-president of AUPE Northwest Region who represents the workers said, “They have been in protracted contract negotiations for over two and half years already. The support workers are trying to get a reasonable settlement with their employer, Living Waters Catholic Regional Division. Feland adds “so far they are not able to get any traction at the table. It is frustrating because the staff members care so much about the students and the schools where they work. It has to be bad when it has gotten to the point they have withdrawn to offer their services to make a point and get movement on their contract demands.”

 

Despite the picketing and protests from the support workers, the board has not been very respectable at the table towards them at times and have made no movement in concessions since June 2018. The AUPE did meet with Living Waters on Thursday; however, there was no real change. Feland said, “Living Waters Catholic Regional Division told them they were being offered the same as the government, same as Alberta Health Services is getting in their tentative agreements, and that is just not true.

 

Feland explains, “In those agreements they have a wage re-opener, and said if they cannot get an agreement they would go to binding arbitration which is an independent third party, the Labour Board. They would make a ruling on the financial positions and compare the private and public work sectors as to what the wage increase should be. Without access to binding arbitration which Living Waters Catholic Division will not agree to, that is not being open to negotiations but rather is a slap in the face.”

 

The average wage for support workers such as teachers’ aides is currently sitting at $26,500/year. Feland said, “This wage is unconscionable, and members cannot live off that. Some are even having to access the food bank for survival. All they’re asking for is to be able to maintain a minimal standard of living and keep up with the rate of inflation.”

 

The AUPE and support workers plan to keep the strike going until the board realizes that we need to have a negotiated settlement which means they come forward with a serious and reasonable financial offer to the table and it would be great if they could address their work hours as most have been significantly reduced.