Fort McMurray school support staff could strike if they vote against dispute inquiry board recommendations

Fort McMurray Catholic and public education support workers will be voting on recommendations proposed by the Disputes Inquiry Board (DIB) from Friday to Monday.

The support workers are represented by CUPE Local 2545, which has more than 300 members.

Union president Lynn Fleet says the current DIB recommendations don't address the needs of their members. Adding, members haven’t had a raise in almost 10 years.

Fleet says a $175 annual honorarium was proposed, but doesn’t make up for “a lack of meaningful wage increases.”

“We did not negotiate this settlement. If we do not fight back now for our right to bargain freely and fairly, we will continue to be pushed around. We urge members to vote ‘no’ on this offer,” Fleet said in a news release on Thursday.

The union says DIB wage recommendations are still at a rate that falls short of a livable income, leaving “many members below the poverty line.”

In September, more than 1,000 educational assistants, librarians, custodians, maintenance and administrative staff in Fort McMurray voted to strike.

The Alberta Federation of Labour says Fort McMurray’s Catholic and public school boards offered “tiny wage increases” for veteran workers and a wage cut for new hires after “years of frozen wages.”

These workers are represented by CUPE Local 2545 and 2559.

Last week the province stepped in to appoint a DIB to help the Edmonton Public School Board and its support workers’ union reach an agreement. CUPE Local 3550 president Mandy Lamoureux says wages are at the centre of their dispute.

Results of the vote in Fort McMurray will be announced by the Alberta Relations Board on Nov. 5.

If the recommendations are voted down, a 72 hours strike notice could be served by the union.