Prairie Buzz
A strike, new members, new projects—members in the Prairies have had a lot of excitement lately
By Dennis Perrin, Prairies Director
In the last few months, there has been a continued buzz in the Prairies for CLAC members. One of the most notable was the strike by the educational assistants (EAs) in the Hanover School Division in southern Manitoba. CLAC has only gone on strike a handful of times in its 72 years of existence, so a work stoppage is something we take very seriously.
These EAs historically have been paid less than most of their provincial counterparts. Cost of living is also high in this area. Unable to reach a settlement after months of negotiations, the EAs voted to go on strike. The strike began on November 1 and lasted approximately three weeks. Through it all, we continued talks with the employer to achieve a just settlement.
EAs are the unsung heroes of our schools. The pay is low, and many of these members could work elsewhere and make more money. They do it because they believe in the students they support, and while they do it for many reasons other than money, they still deserve to be compensated relative to those in other school divisions.
The morale and stamina of Local 306 members on the picket line was remarkable. What was also overwhelming was the support from the community. Parents, local businesses, and the public were incredibly supportive, often stopping by to deliver treats, food, and coffee. This community support sustained our members and staff and allowed us to achieve a better bargaining outcome. CLAC demonstrated that it can still stick to its principles of respect and fairness while carrying out a work stoppage, and while not something we consider lightly, we were able to arrive at a fair settlement and get these members back to doing the work they love.
We’ve also added some new members across the Prairies. We were pleased to welcome approximately 65 employees of Five Corner Meats in Edmonton. Local 56 members employed at this new meat processing facility cut, tray, and ship pork, chicken, beef, and lamb to grocery chains and stores throughout western Canada.
We also recently welcomed Local 63 members working for Hinton Scaffold Solutions in Alberta. This contractor provides primarily industrial maintenance services, being able to execute both long term maintenance as well as plant shutdowns.
Much has been said as of late about Dow Canada’s massive Path2Zero project near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. It will convert Alberta-sourced ethane feedstocks into polyethylene and use methane feedstocks to create hydrogen, removing carbon components along the way. CLAC negotiated a project labour agreement with Dow, which will provide work for many members. Bids and awards are underway, with some construction anticipated in 2024 and much more in 2025.
In October, we said farewell to Burt VanDelden, an Edmonton-based representative who retired after 25 years of service. For many years, Burt had been the lead pipeline representative in Alberta. He also provided excellent representation to members working in the pipeline sector in other parts of Canada. Burt will be missed by members and staff alike, and we wish him all the best in life’s next chapters.