Fort McMurray school support workers go strike [Video]

Public and Catholic school support workers in Fort McMurray are slated to walk off the job Tuesday morning after holding rotating strikes since Nov. 13.

CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill says the full strike is due to “the fact the provincial government has not acted to address the poor wages” of school support workers.

“The wages of these workers haven’t improved in over a decade,” said Gill in a news release on Sunday.

“They need a substantial increase to make up the ground lost to inflation.

CUPE Locals 2545 and 2559 represent more than 1,000 staff, including librarians, maintenance workers and educational assistants.

Gill believes if the province doesn’t act soon, workers at other school districts will follow.

In September, members of both unions voted in favour of striking, but one day before they could start job action, the province stepped in and appointed a disputes inquiry board (DIB) to …