Talks between the Regina Public School Board and CUPE Local 3766, who represents educational support workers, have broken down and CUPE has filed an impasse.

The union says it has been bargaining for over two years, with bargaining stalling at the table despite a 95 percent strike mandate from the local.

“We presented a fair deal to our employer that reflected our beliefs. It is disappointing that our employer continues to refuse to remove their bargaining concessions,” said Jackie Christianson, president of CUPE Local 3766. “It is our hope that a meeting with the mediator will happen, and we will be able to reach a fair deal with our bargaining efforts.”

The union says bargaining has been challenging across the school system due to drastic cuts from the province, but the school board is the only division pushing harmful concessions.

“We continue to hold strong to our belief that no worker is worth a zero increase. We are not worth less than other CUPE education support workers in Saskatchewan and we are not worth less than our employers,” said Christianson. “Our schools work because we do. It is time that the Regina Public School Board recognizes this at the bargaining table.”

CUPE Local 3766 represents over 600 education support workers at Regina Public Schools.