Province issues layoffs to ASD-W staff before Thanksgiving holiday
Late Friday, Oct. 10, as Anglophone School District–West (ASD-W) library and administrative staff were winding down their day, preparing to head home and enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends, they were blindsided again.
Library workers were issued layoff notices mere weeks after a court decision that required the government to rehire them following a prior layoff.
The notices were just the latest blow in a six-month-long battle between the provincial government and CUPE #2745.
The union had already taken the province to court twice for labour law and contract violations. Both times, the court decided in favour of the workers.
CUPE #2745 President Theresa McAllister is still in shock.
“I got my official notification at 3:45 via email on the Friday afternoon of the long weekend,” she told the River Valley Sun. “I had no time to get in touch with members and warn them.”
McAllister characterized the layoff as more “mental anguish” for staff who are just trying to make a living and serve their students.
“Just imagine,” said McAllister, “you had a job, you lost your job; you had a job, you lost your job. We were just finishing up our staffing from getting everyone back to work!”
McAllister said the majority of the layoffs are in the ASD-W school district, with over 100 library employees and administrative assistants affected.
“All schools with a library worker have been affected,” said McAllister, who said the province sees library workers in particular as expendable.
“In their perspective, library workers do not offer one-on-one support to students, which is not true. They absolutely support the kids.”
News of the layoffs created outrage and raised concerns for many across the province – from parents to school staff to government officials, including Carleton-Victoria MLA Margaret Johnson.
“We know that there is never a good time for bad news,” said Johnson, “but to deliver this on the eve of a long weekend when families gather together to celebrate their blessings is heartless. Originally [in April], the district bore the brunt of the blame for this action. This time, the decision was made in consultation with Early Education and Childhood Development and the Finance and Treasury board.”
Johnson fears the layoffs will negatively impact the province’s literacy rates, which are already struggling.
“We must ask, what does this do to the children of our district? How does this support our efforts to improve literacy?”
She also touched on concerns for teachers and administrators who are already overburdened.
“How does this support teachers and administrators already stretched thin to accommodate the paperwork necessary to keep up to current demands?” asked Johnson. “I can’t imagine what thinking took place to determine that this was a good idea. To say I am heartbroken for the affected families is an understatement.”
Paul McIntosh, Director of Communications & RTIPPA Coordinator for ASD-W, issued a statement confirming the layoffs.
“Anglophone West School District can share that 26 library workers and 83 administrative assistants are impacted by recent staffing decisions. Individuals who are laid off from these positions will all have the opportunity to exercise staffing rights within their collective agreement to secure other positions within the bargaining unit. It is the intention of ASD-W to not continue with library hours when they are in a legal position to do so. All the impacted administrative assistant positions will be reposted as vacancies with the new associated hours. The superintendent and staff from ASD-W will defer further discussion on the matter to a later time,” said McIntosh in a statement.
The layoff notices were delivered less than a week before the union was set to vote on a tentative agreement with the province on Oct. 16.
McAllister told the River Valley Sun that the vote has now been cancelled.
“That’s not happening,” said McAllister, who also said the union is now speaking with legal counsel. “There are a lot of questions, but no answers.”
