Edmonton Public School Board trustee resigns, more strike votes in Alberta

As education support staff outside a Leduc high school strike for higher wages, more schools in Alberta could see their support staff headed to the picket lines. 

The Grand Yellowhead School Division covering Jasper, Hinton, Edson, and Grande Cache voted 82 per cent in favour of job action.

“If the provincial government will allow us to bargain freely and fairly, we can have all these folks back in the schools,” said Rory Gill, the president of CUPE Alberta.

The union is blaming provincial funding for the growing strikes across the province.

Thursday, Alberta’s provincial budget, saw a $400 million increase earmarked for education operations.

But the finance ministry clarified in a statement saying, “Increased funding for school boards would go to improving classroom quality by hiring more people to help address the unprecedented population growth, not giving exceptional raises to certain workers.”

If workers in the Grand Yellowhead School Division go on strike, they will be the 10th union in Alberta’s schools to hit the picket line. 

However, a 72-hour strike notice has not been posted, and there is currently no indication of if and when that may happen.

Strikes in Edmonton are now approaching their third month, and Friday, Trustee Marcia Hole announced her resignation, saying on social media, “My ability to fulfill my role as a Trustee has been hindered by the erosion of school board autonomy and the inability to speak up publicly due to the intimidation tactics of the provincial government toward democratically elected school boards, including, but not limited to, current labour relations.” 

Hole is the second trustee to step down because of the labour dispute.

Edmonton Public acknowledging Hole’s resignation, thanking her for her three years of service, saying the board will decide how to move forward at a meeting Tuesday.