Around 4,000 support staff at Edmonton Public Schools may soon go on strike after an overwhelming majority voted in favour of job action.
The union representing the workers posted unofficial results on Facebook, revealing that 97 per cent of voting members supported the strike. The vote followed a breakdown in negotiations with the school board.
According to the union, the wage increases offered by the board are insufficient to address the rising cost of living, increased workloads, and persistent understaffing.
The union claims the school board verbally proposed extending the contract from four to eight years but maintained its original wage offer, which aligns with the provincial government’s cap of 2.75 per cent over the first four years.
The official in-person strike vote is set for October 20. If approved by the Alberta Labour Relations Board, the strike could go ahead, though there is no immediate plan for how schools would operate if support staff walk off the job.
