Striking education workers protest outside Alberta Legislature on budget day

Hundreds of striking school support workers marched through the streets of downtown Edmonton to the Alberta legislature on budget day and stood outside, waving signs, blowing horns and demanding higher wages.

“We will not be silenced,” some protesters chanted on Thursday as their kids sat on their shoulders or played in snow.

CUPE says it has arranged for more than 50 buses of striking workers to come to the province’s capital and demand the government participate in bargaining with them.

There are thousands of education workers here at the rally.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) bused in workers from Calgary, Sturgeon and even Fort McMurray. pic.twitter.com/PMCPnsVhKm

— Elliott Knopp (@ElliottKnopp) February 27, 2025

Union president, Rory Gill, says the workers will set up a bargaining table on the steps of the Legislature and invite members of the government to join them.

Around 2,000 education workers from Foothills School Division, Black Gold School Division, Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) served up notices of strike action earlier this month and officially hit the picket lines on Monday.

“I’m really concerned, not only for the teachers but also the students,” said Janet Banda, an educational assistant of over 16 years.

She says that after 12 years without a raise, she wants that to change.

“I think I’ve had more than two jobs for about 12 years, and right now I still have another job just to survive,” she explained.

“I’m hoping we get what we deserve. I’m not going to settle for nothing less.”

Scenes outside the Alberta Legislature Building where educational staff are rallying for more public education funding in the provincial budget that will be released shortly. pic.twitter.com/HMhtgGss3r

— Elliott Knopp (@ElliottKnopp) February 27, 2025

Members had previously voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

They joined 4,000 more workers in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and the Sturgeon School Division who are already on strike.

According to CUPE, the strikes come out of desperation for higher pay; the average school support worker in Alberta makes around $34,500 annually.

“This government has to understand public education is approaching catastrophe,” Gill told reporters. “I spoke to a lady last year that’s working four jobs.”

Gill has previously said the province has the lowest per-capita education funding in the country and “mandates” from Alberta’s government restrict the wages that school divisions can offer.

He said that before the strike began, the vacancy rate among support workers was at 10 per cent in some of the school divisions “because wages were so low.”

Last week, a judge ordered the government to reverse its decision to exempt schools from providing in-person learning to students with complex needs during the strike.

A group of parents and guardians said more than 3,700 children were being discriminated against by not being allowed to attend classes in person.

Budget 2025: Education

As for the budget, the province has tabled an increase in education spending, bringing the total operating expenses to $9.9 billion. However, Gill says it’s not enough.

“The government has increased education funding, but it’s not enough to cover enrollment and inflation. We would need an increase of 6.8 per cent, what we got was 4.5 per cent. So Alberta’s education will continue to deteriorate. For four years, Alberta has had the lowest education spending in Canada,” explained Gill.

He adds, “This means the strikes are likely to continue and spread to more school districts. The government does not seem to care that education support workers are making poverty wages, and have gone a decade without a proper increase.”

He said the government’s pledge to hire 4,000 support workers in Thursday’s budget is meaningless.

“They can hire a million people if they want, but unless the wages are there, no one is going to take these jobs,” he said.

Adding, “Funding to hire more teachers and support staff, and some support for children with special needs is welcome. However, it doesn’t address the low wages in the sector that are making it difficult to hire support staff. Edmonton public alone has a 10 per cent vacancy rate among support staff. The government needs to address low wages in the field.”

Finance Minister Nate Horner, speaking to reporters inside the legislature, said he wants to balance fair wages while staying within the parameters of deals with other public sector workers.

“I’m just saying that it’s important to us that all of the public service is paid fairly,” he said.

Additionally, the province is planning on spending $2.6 billion over the next three years on educational infrastructure, which is an increase of $505 million or 23.9 per cent from 2024’s budget.

-With files from the Canadian Press