More than 3,000 school support workers are set to walk off the job this morning in Edmonton and some nearby communities over a wage dispute with their employer.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says picket lines are to go up at three public high schools in Edmonton and all schools in the Sturgeon Public School Division.
School support workers include education assistants, librarians, licensed practical nurses, interpreters, cafeteria workers and administration staff.
The superintendents of both divisions have said each school will be affected differently and that parents should keep in touch with their school’s principal.
Union officials say the average educational support worker in Alberta earns $34,500 per year and that some staff haven’t seen a raise in 10 years.
Finance Minister Nate Horner has accused CUPE of being misleading and that no one should expect a full-time salary for 10 months of part-time work.
Alberta’s Opposition NDP has called Horner’s comments an insult to education workers and has accused the government of hindering negotiating power by underfunding school boards.
