A Sask Rivers' school bus is blocked from entering the EA Rawlinson Centre parking lot by CUPE 882 members. Angry parents raised concerns over the freezing rain and students with disabilities being forced to cross icy streets and sidewalks. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

CUPE Members

Picketers block student access to show at P.A.’s EA Rawlinson Centre

Dec 7, 2023 | 4:58 PM

Students trying to attend a show at Prince Albert’s EA Rawlinson Centre Thursday morning were forced to depart the bus while it was parked on a busy street in the freezing rain.

Picketers from CUPE Union 882 were on the public sidewalk and temporarily blocking street access to the building by walking on the driveway as vehicles were trying to turn.

CUPE spokesperson Tria Donaldson said that the picketers have been told to stop.

“It sounds like things got pretty escalated this morning, so we’ve moved the line,” she said. “We’ve told people in no uncertain terms to not be blocking school buses.”

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One of the students departed the back of the bus using a wheelchair lift.

A student exits the bus via a wheelchair lift at the back. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

Several angry parents called paNOW including one father who said it was “inhumane” for picketers to be forcing his special needs son to cross a slippery street to get to the building.

“It’s BS the way they treated these special needs kids,” he said. “That is unbelievably rude and it should be illegal.”

When contacted, the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division said it preferred not to get into any dispute between the city and its workers.

Director of Education Neil Finch said that bus drivers are allowed to use alternative drop-off locations if needed and that they are well-trained in how to do it safely.

There was also a verbal altercation between one of the picketers and a member of city management that may have provoked the strikers, according to Donaldson.

A Prince Albert Police car was parked near the entrance of the building and several security guards were also on hand.

This is not the first time conflict or concerns have arisen since the strike started nor is it the first allegation of picketers blocking access to public facilities.

On October 19, video footage shared with paNOW shows the mayor’s truck being blocked by picketers as he was trying to leave city hall.

The city said with the deal ratification on Monday’s council meeting agenda, it prefers not to comment on the recent situation.

Meanwhile, CUPE 882 voted at the end of November to take the city’s offer of an 11 per cent increase over the next four years along with increases to the wages paid to workers at the bottom of the wage scale.

Donaldson said the union had not been told when the city’s council would vote on whether to ratify the deal.

A passenger vehicle had to wait on 12th Street while strikers slowly walked across the driveway. (Susan McNeil/paNOW)

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com