LETTER: CUPE strike about more than ‘poverty-level’ wages

Dear Editor, 

I want to share my experience as an educational assistant and as the mother of a daughter with a disability who is currently affected by the ongoing support staff strike here in Okotoks. 

This strike is not just about fair wages; it also concerns the chronic underfunding of Alberta's classrooms and the impact this has on both staff and students. As an educational assistant in the Foothills School Division, I am deeply committed to the well-being and success of the children I work with. 

Despite the vital role support staff play in supporting students with diverse needs, we are paid poverty-level wages that make it nearly impossible to support our own families. Many of us work multiple jobs just to make ends meet while being asked to perform increasingly complex tasks without fair compensation. 

The strain of this strike on my family is profound. Yet, I am compelled to stand firm because the current conditions are unsustainable. Our work is essential, and we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. 

The impact of this strike is affecting my child's ability to receive a proper education. My youngest daughter requires a 1:1 educational assistant (EA) to help her learn basic academics and life skills. Her EA is wonderful, and my daughter has made significant progress with her support. 

Unfortunately, since my daughter no longer has that assistance at school, she has been encouraged to stay home and engage in at-home learning. I have had to advocate for her to return to school part-time because she does not learn effectively at home. She needs the routine of attending school and being with her peers. 

Now that my daughter is in school, she is still not receiving the proper support she needs to progress and learn effectively. Sadly, my daughter is physically in school, but she is not included and supported as well as she could be if she had an EA to help her. 

I want my daughter to learn academics and life skills to the best of her ability. I am worried this strike will have a significant negative impact on her education and cause her to fall even further behind than she already is. 

What is particularly frustrating is the hypocrisy of the Foothills School District's actions. While claiming it cannot afford to pay support staff fairly, it has hired nurses, retired principals and substitute teachers to perform our duties during the strike — at a significantly higher cost. 

If it can find the funds to pay these temporary replacements, why can't it find the resources to fairly compensate those of us who dedicate ourselves to these students every day? 

Underfunding has long been a reality in Alberta's classrooms, and it is our students who suffer the most. Overworked and underpaid support staff cannot provide the quality of care and support that every child deserves. Our classrooms need more resources, not more temporary fixes. 

I am asking for public support in calling on the government and the school district to address these inequities. We are not asking for luxury, we are asking for a livable wage and the resources to provide the best possible education for Alberta's children. 

It is time to invest in the people who invest in our future. 

Anna McGarvie  

Okotoks