Public school support staff on strike in Weyburn

The school day is going to be a lot harder for a while in the Southeast Cornerstone School Division – support staff have gone on strike.
 
About 250 employees, including bus drivers, administrative assistants, education assistants, building and maintenance personnel, and cafeteria workers, have gone on strike. SEIU West represents those workers. The union’s president is Barbara Cape. She said they have been negotiating with the school division for a new contract since September 2014.
 
“As in many situations with collective bargaining, when it comes down to the monetary provisions, that’s where the road blocks start to happen,” said Cape.
 
Strike notice was served Monday morning. Before employees hit the picket line on Wednesday, Cape said it didn’t seem likely the school division would come back to the table in time.
 
“When we phoned to ask on Monday if they want to get back together, if they’ve got some time, they said they have nothing new to offer and so there is no purpose to meet.”
 
Cape said that parents should be concerned.
 
“You ‘gotta question how the school division is allocating these funds if members have been driven to take job action, who have never taken job action before.”
 
According to Cape, there is some support in the community. She said more than 170 people attended a rally in Weyburn over the weekend, including family and people from the community.
 
Cape mentioned education assistants specifically, saying that 350 have been cut in Saskatchewan in the past few years.
 
“If we are asking folks to do more with less resources then we have to compensate them somehow in order to recruit and retain the best possible staff.”
 
The strike won’t necessarily shut down the schools, but Cape said it will have an impact.
 
“They run the school board offices, they run the physical plant, they keep out libraries open, and they assist children who have additional needs or special needs in the classroom.”

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow