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  THE IMPACT OF WAGE ROLLBACKS ON EDUCATION SUPPORT WORKERS Support staff who work for school divisions earn modest wages, especially the majority of support staff who work on a ten-month basis. Staff who work full-year include school division office staff, caretakers, and some tradespersons. Caretakers or facility operators across the province earn wages in the range of $16.55 an … Read More

PRINCE ALBERT: Support staff in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division are facing a further reduction in hours. This comes on the heels of the recently announced closure of programs to support students with learning disabilities. “The provincial cuts to education are hurting our children,” said John Kunard, president of CUPE Local 4195, which represents support workers in the Saskatchewan Rivers … Read More

REGINA: The Government of Saskatchewan has passed Bill 63, which amends The Education Act to give the Minister of Education more power and reduce the autonomy of school divisions. “This government has shown little respect for our children’s education and for the voices of communities and local officials,” says Jackie Christianson, chair of CUPE Saskatchewan’s Education Workers’ Steering Committee. “Bill … Read More

CUPE education workers have launched a new radio ad campaign to voice their concerns about the Sask Party’s cuts to education and Bill 63 – a new piece of legislation that removes power from school divisions and concentrates it in the hands of the Ministry of Education. The ads are running across the province over the next week prior to … Read More

The Saskatchewan government’s plan for K-12 education is harmful to our children and our schools. In April, the Government of Saskatchewan introduced Bill 63, which amends The Education Act to give the Minister of Education more power and reduce the autonomy of school divisions. This bill effectively removes the ability of locally elected school boards and educators to make decisions … Read More

REGINA: CUPE, the union that represents the majority of education support workers in the province, is ready to fight the Ministry of Education’s mandate to roll back wages for education workers by 3.5 per cent with a three year freeze. “The government is punishing the poorest workers while ignoring the basic principles of labour relations, which is that we reach … Read More

REGINA: The provincial cuts to K-12 education are larger than expected, and CUPE education workers are worried about how the cuts will impact children in Saskatchewan. The 2017-2018 Saskatchewan budget, released on March 22, cut operating funding to school divisions by 2.6 per cent on a school year basis. Twenty-seven out of 28 school divisions are facing cuts between 2.6 … Read More

CUPE education workers have launched a new radio ad campaign to voice their concerns about the Sask Party’s plan for the education sector. The ads are running across the province the week before the provincial budget on March 22. The provincial budget is expected to introduce significant changes to the education sector, including amalgamations, a decrease in funding, a 3.5 … Read More

REGINA: The public comment period to the advisory panel on education reform has ended, but CUPE vows to keep voicing its concerns about the proposed restructuring. “Frontline workers, who have already had hours reduced because of government funding cuts, are concerned that restructuring will remove community accountability, create unstable labour relations, and most importantly, lower the quality of education for … Read More

REGINA- The announcement of a rushed one-month review of Saskatchewan’s K – 12 education system is another misguided step in the provincial government’s so-called transformational change agenda, according to CUPE. “We don’t need a rushed review looking for pocket change because of the provincial government’s growing deficit. We need education support workers and resources for our children to receive the … Read More

NORTH BATTLEFORD: Education workers from around the province will be gathering in North Battleford for the annual CUPE Education Workers’ Steering Committee Conference to discuss some of the urgent issues in the education sector. Over 50 people will participate in three days of discussions on a variety of topics, including funding cuts in education, workplace health and safety, and trends … Read More

REGINA: CUPE has launched a province-wide campaign to raise awareness of the funding challenges in K-12 education. The campaign is called “Where’s the funding?” and features billboards, a website, and a postcard campaign. “Investing in our children is investing in the future of Saskatchewan. But the current trends in education funding paint a troubling picture of our government’s pr iorities,” … Read More

In order to help balance the books, the school division is reducing the hours of work per day of over 50 educational assistants and not renewing over 20 temporary positions.

Every student deserves access to the classroom support he or she needs. If you are concerned about the impact the funding formula will have on your children, make your voice heard.

“It is shocking to us that Prairie South School Division is looking at more cuts to frontline staff before cutting administrative costs at all or freezing hiring for management,” said Dale Smith, president of CUPE Local 5512. “These workers make a difference in the day to day lives of students. Every position cut is a loss for our children.”

CUPE 4195 is very concerned about Saskatchewan Rivers School Board’s recent decision to lay off over 340 members–the entire local–and hire them back at reduced hours. The school board covers Prince Albert and surrounding rural areas.

CUPE is encouraging people with concerns about education in Saskatchewan to share them on social media using the hashtag #supportsasked.

“Our members care passionately about the work they do and the children they watch over. The loss of these jobs is so devastating because of how much heart our members put into their jobs,” said Trish Mula, president of CUPE Local 5512. “This decision is about Prairie South’s financial situation, but it is the students who are going to end up paying the price.”