Hundreds of school support workers rally at legislature as Alberta releases budget

EDMONTON — Hundreds of striking school support workers marched through the streets of downtown Edmonton to the Alberta legislature on budget day and stood outside, waving signs, blowing horns and demanding higher wages.

“We will not be silenced,” some protesters chanted on Thursday as their kids sat on their shoulders or played in snow.

Inside the legislature, Finance Minister Nate Horner delivered the specifics of the 2025 spending plan.

Around 6,000 workers, from educational assistants to cafeteria staff, have been on the picket lines across Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray for about six weeks to fight for higher wages.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees has said education support workers in Alberta, who make less than $35,000 a year on average, had hoped the province would step in to resolve the wage dispute.

“This government has to understand public education is approaching catastrophe,” CUPE Alberta president Rory Gill told reporters.

“I spoke to a lady last year that’s working four jobs.”

He said the government’s pledge to hire 4,000 support workers in Thursday’s budget is meaningless.

“They can hire a million people if they want, but unless the wages are there, no one is going to take these jobs,” he said.

He said that before the strike began, the vacancy rate among support workers was at 10 per cent in some of the school divisions “because wages were so low.”

Horner, speaking to reporters, said he wants to balance fair wages while staying within the parameters of deals with other public sector workers.

“I’m just saying that it’s important to us that all of the public service is paid fairly,” he said.

Last week, a judge ordered the government to reverse its decision to exempt schools from providing in-person learning to students with complex needs during the strike.

A group of parents and guardians said more than 3,700 children were being discriminated against by not being allowed to attend classes in person.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press