The union that represents non-teaching support staff in the School District of Mystery Lake (SDML) said in an Aug. 24 letter that its members would go on strike effective 8:01 a.m. Aug. 30.
“To be crystal clear, the union does not want to take strike action,” said a letter sent out by United Steelworkers District 3 staff representative Matt Winterton on behalf of United Steelworkers Local 8223, which represents about 185 SDML employees, including custodians, maintenance workers, educational assistants, librarian clerks, information technology staff and other support staff who have been without a contract or wage increases since 2017. “The union simply wants to meet in a respectable timeframe and negotiate a respectable collective agreement. The members understand the potential impact of withdrawing their services and did not make this decision lightly … but at some point they absolutely need to stand up for themselves and try to rectify the unhealthy relationship that the employer has created over the last several years.”
The letter says that the union doesn’t know how SDML will handle payroll for teachers, register students, prepare classrooms and clean and maintain the schools without their services.
Thompson MLA Danielle Adams expressed support for the union members on social media.
“I stand in solidarity with educational support staff,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “They are hard-working dedicated people who have been working without a contract for 4 years. This is not okay. They deserve a fair deal. The PCs must end their attacks on hard working Manitobans and allow fair and meaningful bargaining.”
Thompson Teachers’ Association president Cathy Pellizarro joined support staff members at a practice picket in front of the school district office in July and said they deserve a new agreement.
“Thompson teachers support USW 8223 at the school district and hope they get a fair contract very soon,” she said. “Four years without a contract is way too long.”
SDML has not yet responded to a Thompson Citizen request for comment on the impending strike and the USW Local 8223 letter.
