Support Staff Strike to Begin November 13 with Rotating Picket Lines in Fort McMurray Schools

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta— Support staff in both Fort McMurray’s public and Catholic school districts will begin a strike on Wednesday, November 13. CUPE Locals 2559 and 2545 issued 72-hour notices to the districts on Thursday, November 7. However, the strike will proceed differently from the initial plans for a full walkout earlier this fall.

The walkout will begin with all school support staff off the job on Wednesday, November 13, and Thursday, November 14, with a return to work on Friday, November 15. Starting Monday, November 18, CUPE will transition to a rotating strike schedule, with support staff at between three and six schools in each district walking off the job for one day. Most schools will continue to operate with a regular complement of staff. CUPE told Harvard Media News it will provide information on which schools will be affected by walkouts the evening before each action.

The hybrid strike plan means that while some schools will operate without support staff on specific days, others will maintain normal staffing. This rotating picket approach aims to minimize full shutdowns, particularly in schools with special needs students.

Earlier this week, CUPE invited both school divisions to return to the bargaining table. Although both the Catholic and Public school districts agreed to resume negotiations, the union chose to proceed with job action instead of returning to negotiations.

Adding to the uncertainty, trustees at the Public School Division are planning a vote on whether to lock out support staff rather than face unpredictable rotating strikes. The Catholic School Division has not indicated whether it will consider a similar move.

The Public School Division stated in a media release that CUPE’s contract demands exceed the division’s financial capacity. According to the division, meeting CUPE’s demands would cost $7.8 million in retroactive pay and $3.8 million in additional wages. “This is fiscally impossible and would require reductions in supports and services to students,” the release stated. “We remain committed to negotiating an agreement that maintains educational supports and services for students without requiring reductions.”

The situation remains fluid, with the potential for a lockout adding further uncertainty, combined with CUPE’s mixed signals regarding its willingness to return to the bargaining table.