Public school workers give their unions massive strike mandates

(CUPE press release)

Regina: More than 600 Regina public school workers from three different union locals gave their negotiating committees massive strike mandates to show their resolve to achieve a fair pay equity plan and wage increases on par with the teachers’ settlement.

The employees are incensed by the board’s general wage offer of less than four per cent over three years and its attempts to find a cheap fix instead of a real solution to gender-based pay inequities.

The strike votes began on Saturday, when caretakers and maintenance workers represented by CUPE Local 650 voted 92 per cent in support of job action.

The Union of Office Employees (UOE), which represents about 50 payroll and accounting clerks and high school & central office support staff, voted 90 per cent in favour of job action on Monday night.

And last night, teacher assistants, teacher associates, elementary school secretaries and other support staff represented by CUPE Local 3766 gave their negotiating committee a 93 per cent strike mandate.

CUPE Local 650 represents 195 school workers, while CUPE Local 3766 represents 370 school support staff.

The three union locals, along with school community co-ordinators represented by SGEU, are working together to achieve a fair pay increase, on par with the recent teachers’ settlement of 7.6 per cent over thirty months.

But the school board is only offering CUPE Local 650 members general wage increases of 3.5 per cent over three years. Members of the other two union locals have been offered general increases of 3 per cent over three years and an extra 6 per cent over three years for pay equity.

“It’s an insulting offer,” says Darby Wild, President of CUPE Local 3766. “In effect, the board wants to ‘finance’ our pay equity adjustments out of our general wage increases. Last night’s strike vote shows members are not prepared to let that happen.”

Paula Branscombe, President of UOE, says the board must provide separate funds for pay equity and “a timeline of three to five years to address the wage inequities defined in the job information questionnaire.”

The President of CUPE Local 650, Wayne Wessner, says the school board often talks about its “shared values.” But, he says, they are not walking the talk in contract negotiations. “The board gave its upper administration staff annual increases averaging 4.3 per cent, but it wants us to accept one per cent. Shared values begin with equal treatment.”

The unions hope the strike mandates will persuade the school board to prepare a new contract offer, one that provides a firm commitment to a pay equity plan and a fair wage increase for all school board workers.