Courtesy/CUPE Alberta

By Canadian Press, Jayk Sterkenburg

EDUCATION

Alberta school boards strike tentative deal with unionized support workers

Mar 16, 2025 | 9:38 AM

The union representing more than 4,000 school support workers says they have reached tentative deals that could end a two-month strike in Edmonton as early as Wednesday.

The settlements, which must still be ratified by CUPE members, would end the strikes at three school districts.

About 3,000 CUPE 3550 members have been on strike at Edmonton Public since Jan. 13 and another 1,000 CUPE 2545 and CUPE 2559 members in Fort McMurray have been on strike since mid-November 2024.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the contracts are for staff with the Edmonton Public School Board as well as the public and Catholic school boards in Fort McMurray.

The settlements do not apply to the 2,600 support workers on strike in Calgary, Sturgeon, Parkland, Foothills and Black Gold school divisions.

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CUPE Alberta President Rory Gill said in a statement that those locals will be rushing back to the negotiating table as quickly as possible to try to get a deal.

“Education support workers are critical to our school system, and today they finally won the respect they deserve,” Gill said Saturday.

Gill said CUPE won’t be releasing finer details of the settlement until members have had a chance to look at it.

He did confirm that all three deals have wage agreements that are higher than the original wage mandates imposed by the Alberta government, and all three deals were for a period ending in August 2028.

At Fort McMurray Public and Catholic schools, workers will vote on the proposal over a 24-hour period ending on Monday evening.

If the proposal is ratified, members will return to work on Wednesday. There will be no traditional picket lines on Monday or Tuesday.

At Edmonton Public Schools, ratification will occur on Monday or Tuesday, and return to work will happen on Wednesday or Thursday. There will be no traditional picket lines in the meantime.

“I’m in awe of the workers in Edmonton and Fort McMurray who stood their ground, in weather as cold as minus 51 degrees, to win a fair contract,” said Gill.

“Their fortitude, their determination, and their solidarity won the day.”

With files from The Canadian Press