EDMONTON - More than 900 Edmonton Catholic Schools support staff began a strike Monday morning, in a disruption that is expected to affect offices, classrooms and libraries.
“There will be a huge impact. These are valuable people in crucial roles and Monday morning will not be a normal day,” Lori Nagy, a spokeswoman for the school district, said Sunday.
The 916 workers include school secretaries, special needs teacher assistants, office clerks, library workers and teacher assistants.
Schools will remain open and principals are trying to fill in gaps as they can, Nagy said, including looking at hiring replacement workers.
Danny Burrell, spokesman for the Edmonton Catholic Support Staff Association, Local 52-A, said a “picket poster sign-making party” held on Sunday was well attended.
“We’re all ready to go and commence the strike at 8 a.m. Monday morning,” Burrell said.
Striking workers are concerned about wages and also frustrated that their hours have been cut in past years and workloads in school offices keep growing.
Nagy said serious concern remains over the severely disabled students in the district.
“Our consultants have been working all weekend trying to secure aides that are properly trained but we have not been able to secure them as of now,” Nagy said.
Principals have been in touch with the parents of about 25 students who have severe special needs. Nagy said some parents are choosing to keep their children at home, while others have another caregiver who can step in at school.
Nagy said it is hoped that giving the striking staff a second chance to vote on a contract offer that was recently rejected may bring the strike to an early end.
Last Wednesday, 277 support workers rejected a contract offer from the district and 202 supported it.
Nagy said the 479 employees who did not vote will be given a second chance this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“By Wednesday night we hope to know if the contract has been accepted and if it has been then we would love to see all the employees back to work Thursday morning,” Nagy said.
Support staff will picket the downtown Edmonton Catholic Schools office, at 9807 106th St.
Edmonton Journal