CUPE Releases Vote Results on School Support Staff Contracts

FORT MCMURRAY, AB. — With school support staff back on the job Wednesday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has released the voting results from its recently ratified collective agreements with Fort McMurray’s Catholic and Public School Divisions.

In the Fort McMurray Public School Division, 451 members of CUPE Local 2545 or 88.1 per cent, of the members voted in favour of the new contract, while 61 members, or 11.9 per cent, opposed it. Meanwhile, in the Fort McMurray Catholic School Division, 325 members of CUPE Local 2559 voted to accept the agreement, representing 72.9 per cent approval, while 121 members, or 27.1 per cent, voted against it.

CUPE says it decided to release the vote breakdown to quell rumours circulating online about how the ratifications played out. Lou Arab, spokesperson for CUPE said exact details of the agreements be made public, but not until contract voting concludes in other school divisions across Alberta. The union says it does not want to be seen as unfairly influencing ongoing voting elsewhere in the province.

Meanwhile, agreements continue to take shape across Alberta. CUPE Local 520 has reached a tentative deal with the Calgary Catholic School District, a four-year agreement that extends until August 2028. A ratification vote is set for Thursday.

Tentative agreements are also in place at Edmonton Public Schools (CUPE 3550) and Parkland School Division (CUPE 5543).