A stroll around Alberta schoolyards at lunchtime likely won’t yield any laughing students, as a teachers’ strike enters its second day.
While staff parking lots certainly aren’t as full as they were just a week before, with classes in session, they’re not completely empty.
Inside those halls, some work continues — with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over it all.
“The supports we provide to students — but also teachers and principals — is enormous,” explains Tammy Earl, chairperson of the Calgary Board of Education Staff Association.
The association represents roughly 5,000 members, from roles such as educational assistants, administrative staff, lunchroom supervisors, IT professionals, psychologists, and dozens of other job titles.
Earl says all of them continue to clock into work this week. While there are no students filling the classrooms, libraries and lunchrooms, there’s still lots of work to do.
“A lot of them are using this time to upgrade their skills and qualifications and do some professional development,” Earl said.
“The CBE has provided a list of suggested training for support staff to do — brain story certification, mental health learning, first aid topics. There’s a wide variety of things depending on what the job title is.”
Earl believes there’s enough work to go around in the early going of the disruption.
But she also acknowledges the uncertainty of the situation, with no resolution on the horizon.
“Those questions have been coming since June,” Earl said. “‘Will we get laid off?’ Honestly, we don’t know.”
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In a statement to Global News, the Calgary Board of Education says, “All non-ATA staff will continue to report to work as scheduled. We have communicated with school-based staff about their responsibilities during the strike.”
Meanwhile, the Calgary Catholic School District says schools and worksites remain open for their support staff, but adds it “will be re-evaluated on a weekly basis.”
It’s not quite business as usual for custodial workers, landscapers and mechanics, but Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 40 says they’re not short of tasks, either.
“With us being understaffed for so long, this gives them an opportunity to catch up on a lot of seasonal cleaning, maintenance, stuff like that that’s been put aside for critical cleaning in the past,” explained Clay Gordon, CUPE Local 40 president.
Gordon says that work is typically reserved for the summer months, and the only chance to get caught up during the school year is during professional development days.
“Now they have (time) to do some deeper cleaning and catch up on some of these annual tasks,” Gordon said. “It’s really important to get some of these issues dealt with that could be airborne, getting into ventilation systems.”
Custodial workers had their own labour dispute just last school year, impacting both teachers and students trying to manage learning without that critical support.
“I know a lot of the parents were concerned about what was going on,” Gordon said. “It was really clarified of how important the work that our members do to keep it safe and a safe learning environment.”
CUPE Alberta spokesperson, Lou Arab, says the union supports teachers during the disruption and will do what it can to ensure the labour dispute doesn’t go on longer than it needs to.
“We’re definitely asking our members to not do the work of teachers,” Arab said. “If they are asked and to contact their job stewards if they do get asked that or if they get asked to do work, that falls in a grey zone.”
Arab, Gordon and Earl all say the passion for education among support workers is synonymous with the feelings of Alberta teachers.
“These are people who love the kids that they teach they consider them their kids and they they love the work that they do,” Arab said.
“I was in a high school setting last year in a mental health class and I think about those students every morning, Earl explained.
“I used to be able to say ‘welcome to school,’ and I wonder who’s welcoming them to school right now.”
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