The morning of Monday, April 17, over 200 Educational Assistants will be walking the picket line outside the Seine River School Board office.
"EAs provide critical supports to students who need it most," said MGEU President Kyle Ross. "These are folks who care deeply about the children and youth who rely on them. Walking off the job is the last thing they wanted."
Educational Assistants who work for the Seine River School Division are amongst the lowest paid EAs in the province, earning little more than minimum wage. This makes it difficult to attract and retain experienced staff, while forcing many EAs in the division to take other career paths or leave for better pay in other school divisions.
"Members of Local 145 have been in negotiations with the school division for over a year,” Ross said, “trying to work out a new contract. But so far, the employer doesn't seem willing to address what is an increasingly untenable situation."On April 4, Local 145 members delivered an overwhelming strike mandate to their Bargaining Committee.
"At this point, we're asking all Manitobans who support the critical supports that EAs provide to send a message to the Seine River School Division. It's long past time that wages catch up and keep up with other EAs in the province."