Custodial employees working at HSD (Hanover School Division) voted this past Saturday in favour of taking strike action. The vote came after the employer rejected an offer by the union in October 2013 to submit the contract dispute to binding arbitration. At issue is the fact that the custodial assistants working in the evening and making up the bulk of employees are paid on average between $1.80 and $3.50 less per hour than other classifications of HSD custodians who are doing similar work. They are also paid significantly less than in neighbouring unionized school divisions.
Represented by Education, Service and Health Care Union, Local 306, affiliated with the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), HSD and the union have been in negotiations for a renewed collective agreement since the spring of 2012. An impasse was reached in November 2012 when employees rejected the wage offer from HSD. A provincial conciliation officer was called on to assist; however a satisfactory resolution has not been reached.
“Taking a strike vote was a last resort,” says Geoff Dueck Thiessen, CLAC Winnipeg regional director. “This is about fairness and respect. Nobody wants to go on strike.” CLAC maintains that something has to be done to address the longstanding issue of low wages for custodial assistants.
“These employees clean schools in the evenings, performing difficult labour under time constraints, and receive significantly lower wages than their own colleagues and other unionized custodial staff in neighbouring unionized school divisions,” says Dueck Thiessen. “We remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement and keep our members working. Throughout history, dedicated people have stood together peacefully for what they believe is right. These very hard-working people are being dramatically underpaid, and employees have decided it’s worth bringing it to the community’s attention and pushing for a fair settlement.”
If it comes to strike action, it won’t be an easy decision. “It’s cold outside,” says Dueck Thiessen. “A strike creates financial hardship for employees, inconveniences everyone who uses the schools, and brings a lot of tension. Everyone involved hopes this can be resolved very quickly, so we can move on and people can stay working in the job they love to do: keeping schools clean and safe for students and other staff but at a wage that acknowledges their value and the work they do.”
CLAC has allowed generous time to reach a settlement with HSD and avert the strike, and has no plans to commence picketing until February.
