Lord Selkirk EAs give their union strong strike mandate

Educational assistants and other non-teaching staff in Selkirk public schools are preparing to strike amid a stalemate in contract negotiations.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees issued a news release Thursday to call on the Lord Selkirk School Division “to remove heavy concessions from the bargaining table” and settle a contract with improvements similar to other divisions’ newly-approved deals.

CUPE Local 1522, which represents about 300 non-teaching employees, hosted a strike vote on Saturday. It drew about 70 per cent of the membership with 95 per cent of participants casting ballots in favour of taking job action, said Dale Edmunds, a spokesperson for CUPE Manitoba.

Conciliation dates are scheduled for April 28, 29 and 30. The union is planning to host an information picket and set a strike date if a deal isn’t reached, Edmunds said.