Teachers, CUPE welcome funding, voice concerns

The unions representing teachers and educational support workers in the Brandon School Division described the NDP government’s $5-million funding boost as a positive step, but cautioned that significant challenges remain.

The Brandon Teachers’ Association represents about 970 members, while Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 737 has 710 education support workers in the school division.

BTA is awaiting details on how the additional funding will be allocated, including how much will be directed toward addressing rising costs such as teacher salary harmonization, president Sandra Thompson told the Sun on Tuesday.

“We’re all waiting eagerly to see where the government has earmarked these funds to go,” Thompson said. “While the increase is welcome, we have a long way to go to recover from the years of underfunding.”

On Monday, the province announced a 6.4 per cent increase in education funding for the Brandon School Division, bringing its allocation up by $5 million from last year’s $77.9 million.

Thompson said uncertainty remains around how much of that funding will address ongoing financial pressures facing the division.

Class size and classroom complexity remain major concerns for BTA’s members, Thompson said in an interview.

“The resources from the government fail to keep pace with the student needs, and while the education minister called the funding stable and predictable, our goals truly need to be firmly in support of equitable quality education for every student,” she said.

“Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.”

Thompson said expectations remain cautious as the division continues to wrestle with fiscal challenges despite the funding increase.

“My expectations at the moment are guarded because I haven’t seen the numbers and where the government has earmarked them to go,” she said. “Our concern really is that we still have a deficit, even after the funding announcement, and our board and our senior administration are going to have to make some really difficult decisions.”

She said the division has already reduced spending where possible, leaving limited flexibility moving forward.

“They’ve cut back our budgets as much as they can, and we still have a deficit after the funding announcement,” Thompson said.

The additional funding is appreciated but ongoing pressures remain for support staff who help keep schools running, CUPE Local 737 president Jamie Rose told the Sun.

“I want to acknowledge the positive step taken by the provincial government for the additional funding Brandon School Division received; it is greatly appreciated,” Rose said in an email. “It is important to highlight that ongoing funding pressures persist, particularly when it comes to support staff and ensuring equal pay.”

Rose said CUPE members — including educational assistants, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers and administrative staff — play a critical role in the education system, both inside classrooms and in maintaining school operations.

“Without the dedication of these individuals, our schools would not be able to function properly,” he said. “Their commitment to ensuring that our schools run smoothly is essential to the operation of our education system.”

While additional funding has been directed toward some rural areas, improvements to the overall funding model are still needed to better support staff and improve student outcomes, he said.

“To improve student outcomes and secure a brighter future for our students, we need to continue advocating for better support for support staff who contribute to the success of our schools,” Rose said.

CUPE Manitoba president Gina McKay told the Sun on Tuesday that the union had wanted to be consulted ahead of the funding announcement,

“We’re disappointed that we weren’t consulted,” she said.

The province’s announcement raises concerns about whether funding increases will adequately address wage standardization and pay equity for support staff across Manitoba school divisions, she said in an interview.

“The union is concerned that this will not pay for wage standardization in rural locations, like Brandon,” McKay said.

“CUPE remains willing to work with the province moving forward. We know this is a government that listens, and we’re ready and willing to consult to make sure these issues can be addressed.”

McKay said the CUPE workers in the Brandon School Division play a critical role in schools and should not be left behind as wage standardization discussions continue.

“We need the government to be the leader for education support workers in the same way that they are for teachers,” she said. “We cannot leave education support workers behind.”

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