Striking education support workers to gather in protest before government tables budget

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on February 27, 2025.

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com

This afternoon it is expected thousands of education support workers, many of whom have been on strike since the early part of January, will gather in solidarity in front of the Alberta Legislature before the UCP government tables its 2025 Budget.

The union says it has arranged more than 50 buses that will be full of striking workers travelling to the legislature demanding the province joins the bargaining table as they fight for higher wages.

CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill, who will be attending the large protest this afternoon, cites Alberta as the lowest per-student education funding of any province, and says the average school support worker makes $34,500 annually.

Currently more than 6,000 educational support workers across the province have voted to join the strike, most recently 400 education support workers with the Parkland School Division who began strike action Tuesday.

In-person learning exemptions

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides issued a statement Wednesday announcing the province’s plans to continue learning during the strikes by exempting students who are supported by an education assistant for learning in-person.

Nicolaides says he issued the ministerial order requested by the Edmonton Public School Division, as well as similar exemptions for the Fort McMurray Roman Catholic Board of Education, Fort McMurray School District and Sturgeon School Division, which all applied for exemptions.

“A recent court ruling highlighted the need to expand the reach of any exemption order to ensure that resources are evaluated and distributed to ensure all students are considered, regardless of whether they require educational assistant support or not,” said Nicolaides.

The ministerial order directs school divisions affected by strike to “evaluate and distribute all resources considering all students” in an inclusive and fair manner, and asks school divisions to “make reasonable efforts” to provide an in-person learning option to all students.

If a student is forced to learn from home, the school division must make an effort to enable that student to continue with the same courses and programs they are enrolled in.

“Alberta’s government expects schools boards to be in consistent and clear communication with students and parents during the ongoing strikes, and we continue to expect them to share details of their plan with their school communities as soon as they are able to do so,” adds Nicolaides.

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