CUPE Local 748 stages job action Monday; students not impacted at this time
By Bruce Fuhr
Members of CUPE Local 748 will be on the picket lines Monday outside Hume Elementary in Fairview after serving strike notice to the Kootenay Lake School District No. 8.
“We’ve reached an impasse, both locally and at the provincial level,” CUPE Local 748 president Michelle Bennett told The Nelson Daily Thursday.
“This job action won’t affect any students, transportation or maintenance but we do want the public to know there are support staff in the school who go above and beyond everyday to make sure their children have a happy, healthy, clean, safe place to go to school and learn.”
Bennett said the job action would happen Monday beginning at 3:30 p.m. on the sidewalk outside Hume Elementary School on Nelson Avenue.
Jeff Jones, Superintendent of Schools/CEO for Kootenay Lake School District No. 8, said in a statement his office has been advised by CUPE Local 748 of the job action.
Jones said the union told him the strike activity will be limited to one-day overtime bans, 30-minute study sessions during lunch breaks or when students are not in session, and picketing when classes are not in session and when there are no extracurricular activities occurring.
“There will be no interference with access or exit from our schools and offices for students or staff,” Jones said.
CUPE locals across the province have been without a contact since June 30, 2012.
Bargaining started in the fall of 2012. The two sides found no reason to continue after hitting an impasse after roughly eight sessions according to Bennett.
Bennett said two main issues the side can’t agree on are wage increases and seniority at the local level.
“There’s been a wage freeze for the past two years so it would be nice to get an increase,” Bennett exclaimed.
CUPE Local 748 represents all employees in the School District No. 8 except members of the Kootenay Lake Teachers’ Federation and excluded management positions.
Kootenay Lake School District No. 8 covers schools from Yahk in the east to Slocan City in the west, Salmo in the south and Meadow Creek in the north.
Bennett said CUPE Local 748 held a strike vote May 10-11. Members voted 92 percent in support strike.
“Our members are frustrated but they know exams, grad . . . everything that’s going on right now and we don’t want to interfere with that,” Bennett explained when asked why not stage a full-scale walkout.
“Those kids are graduating this weekend and they’ve worked super hard to be able to do it and it wouldn’t be fair to them to interrupt exams, to interrupt grad.”
“So right now we’re working on solidifying our strike vote and come September there will be more job action if there’s no agreement,” Bennett added.
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