Education support workers at the Calgary Catholic School District will return to work Monday after 93 per cent of union members voted to accept a new four-year contract.
Related Stories:
The workers, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 520, had been on strike since Feb. 24. The local represents 350 custodial staff, cleaners, tradespeople, plumbers and boiler operators.
The Calgary Catholic School District said in a statement it looks forward to welcoming staff back on March 24 and expects facility rentals will resume "in the near future."
The strike affected schools across the district, including several in Airdrie: Good Shepherd School, St. Veronica School, Our Lady Queen of Peace School and St. Martin de Porres High School. Schools remained open, with the district hiring contractors for cleaning, maintenance and snow removal.
Details of the agreement have not been made public, but CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill said the settlement reflects the strength of workers provincewide.
"Education support workers have shown great courage and determination,” Gill said. “I’m so happy for them that they have won the respect they deserve."
CUPE said the new agreement exceeds the Alberta government’s wage mandate and will expire in August 2028.
The ratification is part of a broader resolution of labour disputes in the province’s education sector.
In the Sturgeon School Division, 80 per cent of CUPE Local 4625 members voted in favour of their settlement. They are expected to return to work on March 31.
CUPE Locals 40 (Calgary Board of Education) and 5543 (Parkland School Division) have also reached tentative agreements, with results expected soon. Members of CUPE 3550, representing Edmonton Public Schools, voted Wednesday. CUPE Local 5040 members in the Foothills School Division will vote today.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.