Labour Relations | CUPE

March 21, 2025

• CUPE Local 5040 voted to approve the tentative 2024-2028 collective agreement with 68.4% approval.
• FSD Board of Trustees held a Special Meeting at 4:00PM and have approved the 2024-2028 collective agreement

March 19, 2025

• Provincial Mediator-organized bargaining meeting.
• Tentative agreement has been reached. Agreement is subject to ratification by FSD Board of Trustees and the membership of CUPE Local 5040.

February 28, 2025

• Foothills School Division and CUPE Local 5040 negotiating teams met at the bargaining table. 

February 21, 2025

• Foothills School Division and CUPE Local 5040 negotiating teams met at the bargaining table. 

February 20, 2025

• At 4:00 PM, Foothills School Division received strike notice from CUPE Local 5040. The strike notice indicates the labour action will begin at 6:00 AM on Monday, February 24, 2025, impacting all schools. Initial picketing will take place near École Secondaire Highwood High School, École Secondaire Foothills Composite High School | Alberta High School of Fine Arts, and Oilfields School.

February 13, 2025

• Foothills School Division receives the verified results of the CUPE Local 5040 strike vote from the Alberta Labour Board. This strike vote mandate is valid for 120 days (June 13, 2025). 

February 12, 2025

• Unofficial results indicate that 82% of CUPE Local 5040 who participated in the supervised strike vote are in favour of labour action. (source)

February 10 & 11, 2025

• CUPE Local 5040 conducted a supervised strike vote.

February 5, 2025

• Foothills School Division received formal notice that the CUPE Local 5040 strike vote is to take place on February 9 and 10, 2025.

January 29, 2025

• Foothills School Division is informed that CUPE Local 5040 has applied to host a supervised strike vote at the end of the cooling off period. 

January 26, 2025

• The Provincial Mediator notified parties that he has booked out and that the 14-day ‘cooling off period’ has started. At the end of this period, it is within the right of the union to conduct a supervised strike vote, which may result in the Division receiving 72 hours’ notice that members of CUPE Local 5040 will take job action. 

January 24, 2025 

• CUPE Local 5040 requested the Provincial Mediator to ‘book out’, of the mediation process without providing a recommendation to the parties for settlement and asked the Mediator to begin the cooling off period, as per the Labour Relations Code.  To 'book out' is a term used to stop the negotiation process, without providing recommendations.  

• We met with the CUPE Local 5040 Bargaining Committee along with their national representative and provincial mediator.
• Continued to work through each other’s proposals. Progress was made on a number of issues with some agreement on a few clauses.

December 5, 2024

• December 5, 2024 bargaining meeting postponed for the reason that the mediator, requested by CUPE Local 5040, was not available to attend. This was discussed and addressed at the December 3, 2024 meeting between FSD, CUPE Local 5040, and the mediator. 

• Foothills School Division met with local and national representatives of CUPE Local 5040, along with a provincial mediator, at CUPE’s request, in an effort to reach a new collective agreement.

• A discussion was held, and some progress was made.
• Further mediation dates are being scheduled, with the next meeting to take place on December 18, 2024.

September 26 & 27, 2024: 

• CUPE Local 5040 and the Division’s bargaining teams met.
  • Exchanged initial proposals and began reviewing and engaging in discussions to understand each other’s priorities and positions.
  • Both parties verbally agreed on a few points but have not signed off on any items.

The Division is dedicated to collaborating with all bargaining units to negotiate existing and expired contracts. We were pleased to finalize the 2020 - 2024 CUPE Local 5040 contract on August 22, 2024, which resulted in agreed-upon wage increases for all members of the bargaining unit.  

Following that round of negotiations and mediation, FSD met with CUPE Local 5040 in September 2024 to begin bargaining on the 2024/2025+ agreement.