Strike Vote Scheduled for Fort McMurray Catholic, Public School Support Staff

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta — Support workers at both the Fort McMurray Catholic and Public School Divisions are set to vote on strike action next week.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Locals 2545 and 2559 will vote on Sept. 10 and 11 to decide whether to authorize a strike. A “yes” vote would allow CUPE to issue a 72-hour strike notice, potentially leading to job action during the week of Sept. 16.

Danielle Danis, president of CUPE Local 2559, said she hopes the situation doesn’t escalate to a strike. She says that a walkout would significantly impact school operations, as CUPE represents custodial staff, secretaries, library workers, and data entry staff. Denis points out that most substitute teachers in Fort McMurray are also represented by CUPE.

“There will be difficulty covering for teachers when they’re sick, and after-hours activities like clubs and sports teams will face challenges accessing facilities,” Danis said.

Danis also raised concerns that the divisions might bring in replacement workers, referencing a previous CUPE job action at Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation which chose to bring in a private contractor to fill in for striking workers.

The divisions and CUPE are currently in a mandatory two-week cooling-off period after mediated contract talks failed to produce a new labour agreement. The cooling-off period ends Sept. 9, just ahead of the strike vote. It remains unclear if either side will return to the bargaining table at the end of the cooling-off period to seek a solution to the impasse.