FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta — The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is seeking public support in its labor dispute with local school boards.

On Tuesday, CUPE launched websites urging the public to advocate for school support workers represented by Locals 2545 and 2559 in their negotiations with the Public and Catholic school boards.

Carrying the banner, “Better Wages Mean Better Service”, the websites include a form letter for citizens to fill out, though it is listed in “test mode” at the time of publishing. The sites say the issue is about the quality of education students receive.

“Members have had to take on significantly higher workloads to deal with the larger class sizes and the large influx of new students to the province,” states both sites.

“This leads to reduced support time that educational assistants can deliver to students who need it most. Many students require one-on-one support.”

CUPE states, “Public pressure can help push employers to make the right decisions.”

CUPE is currently in a two-week cooling-off period after failed mediation with both school boards. Presidents of the two locals said a formal strike vote is expected shortly after Sept. 6.