School support workers in northeast Sask. threaten job action

(Source: North East School Division)

Support staff in Saskatchewan’s North East School Division have voted in favour of job action.

CUPE 4875, which represents more than 300 educational support workers in the division, says 91 per cent of its voting members authorized the action.

“The resounding mandate from the workforce sends an unequivocal message to the employer: the time for fair treatment and equitable conditions has come,” said CUPE Saskatchewan president Judy Henley in a news release.

The North East School Division represents schools in the Melfort and Tisdale area, and runs north to Choiceland and east to Hudson Bay.

Henley says staff deserve to make as much as workers in neighbouring divisions and earn wages that keep up with increases in the cost of living.

CUPE 4875 has worked with a mediator since May 2023.

Debbie Dufault, CUPE 4875 president, urged the school division to take the overwhelming mandate from their members as a signal that they are determined to negotiate for a fair deal.

“We call on the employer to get back to meaningful negotiations, address our concerns and prioritize the well-being of these workers that keep our school division running.”