Canada’s largest union is raising alarm bells over cutbacks it says will negatively impact Yorkton students.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is concerned about Good Spirit School Division (GSSD) cutting back hours of 50 regular educational assistants from six to 5.75 hours per day and not renewing 20 temporary positions.
Yorkton This Week was unable to obtain comment from the administration or board of the division due to summer vacations.
CUPE lays the blame squarely on the shoulders of the provincial government.
“Good Spirit School Division is the latest school division to feel the impacts of the provincial government’s underfunding of education,” a press release stated.
“Over half of the school divisions across the province are experiencing budget shortfalls, due to both stagnating funding and the provincial government’s refusal to fully fund the contract it signed with teachers.”
In February 2015 teachers settled a four-year contract with the Province that gave them a 1.9 per cent per year salary boost. In its most recent budget the government only gave the school divisions half of that. The education minister, Don Morgan, said it a “catastrophic” decline in commodity prices forced the government’s hand and they, in turn, are looking for savings elsewhere to cover the shortfall.
The union is worried about the impact this will have not only on members but also on students, the press release stated.
“Educational assistants are an integral part of the school-based team. We feel strongly that all the hours we work makes a difference to students and provides a quality learning environment,” Sastaunik said. “These reductions of hours will be felt in the classroom, and that is troublesome.”
The union admits 5.75 hours provides “bell-to-bell” coverage, but says that’s not good enough.
“Caring for our students does not end when the bell rings,” said Sastaunik. “We are there when a student arrives, helping them off the bus and to get settled into the school day. At the end of the day, we make sure students get safely on the bus and home with all of their homework and belongings.”
“It is not fair that our children are being asked to face the consequences of this government’s decision to cut funding,” added Sastaunik. “Every student deserves access to the classroom support he or she needs, and our government needs to step up to the plate and invest in our children.”
“We’re not backing away from the contract, but we are saying to the divisions that we have had an unprecedented and unknown drop in revenue and we’re saying to them you have to work with us and find some savings,” Morgan said responding to criticism of the budget.
CUPE Local 4784 represents educational assistants, library technicians, administrative assistants, nutrition workers, maintenance workers, caretakers, and mechanics at GSSD.
