Employees at the Melfort Daycare Co-operative are in a strike position.
CUPE 5080 members, including early childhood educators, childcare providers and cooks at the Melfort Daycare Co-operative, have rejected the employer’s last offer following a unanimous strike vote earlier this fall.
Members voted 100 per cent in favour of strike action on Oct. 16 after a difficult round of bargaining. On Dec. 2, members rejected the employer’s last offer, citing concessions on seniority and two-tier wage increases as key concerns.
“Our members work tirelessly to ensure children are learning in a safe and healthy environment each day,” Sera Jones, bargaining committee member said in a release.
“We take pride in the care we provide and the relationships we have built with families.”
“This has been a challenging round of bargaining,” added Jones. “We want a fair, reasonable deal at the table.”
CUPE 5080 has launched a letter writing campaign encouraging members of the community to ask the Melfort Daycare Co-operative Board to return to negotiations and reach a fair deal with their workers.
“Childcare workers deserve respect and working conditions that reflect the value of their work,” Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan said in a release. “We call on the employer to come back to the table and negotiate a fair deal.”
CUPE represents over 300 childcare workers across the province.
