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A dozen education support workers and their allies took to the streets in Saskatoon on Saturday, rallying for higher wages and a fair collective agreement as negotiations with their employer, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, remain stalled.
Members of CUPE locals 2268 and 3730 marched from the Saskatoon Public School Board Office to the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Board office, sending a clear message that the people who keep schools running say they are being left behind.
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“Our wages are falling behind the cost of living, our workloads are growing, and too often, our contributions are being taken for granted,” said J.R. Simpson, vice-president of CUPE Saskatchewan and a member of both locals.
“This rally isn’t just about wages. It’s about respect. It’s about recognition, and it’s about fairness.”
Simpson said education support workers are essential to the daily functioning of schools, from maintaining safe, clean environments to providing one-on-one support to students with complex needs.
“Our work isn’t extra, it isn’t optional, it is necessary,” he said. “And yet, despite everything we do, we continue to be undervalued.
The rally comes after workers voted nearly 90 per cent in favour of strike action earlier this year, a move Simpson described as a sign that members have “had enough of being left behind.”
“Education support workers are united,” he said. “We are united across classifications, across locals, and we are united in demanding a fair deal.”
Teresa Hitchings, president of CUPE 2268, and Wayne Harriman, president of CUPE 3730 at the rally in Saskatoon on March 28, 2026. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
CUPE 2268 president Teresa Hitchings, a library technician with Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, said bargaining has been ongoing since the fall but has hit a wall.
“We’ve reached an impasse. We’ve had mediation and we’re still not where we need to be,” Hitchings said. “Our members just want the employer to do better, and that’s why we’re here today.”
Hitchings said the financial strain on workers is starting to impact not only staff, but also the students they support.
“We’re hearing from members that times are tough,” she said. “It’s hard to support students when you’re not feeling supported yourself, when you’re worried about groceries or whether you can pay your bills. That weighs heavily, and it impacts your ability to do your job.”
She added that returning to the bargaining table later this week brings some hope, but workers are still waiting for movement from the employer.
“We’re hoping we can have some positive news for our members and for the community as a whole,” Hitchings said.
CUPE 3730 president Wayne Harriman, an electrical foreman with Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, said the rally was also about raising public awareness.
“Education has been gutted for the last decade or so, and it’s trickling down to our students and staff,” Harriman said.
“We’re just trying to get a fair wage and make sure people can support their families.”
Harriman said the goal is simple: to make sure education workers can continue doing their jobs without financial stress weighing them down.
“We’re hoping to bring awareness to everybody and show why this matters,” he said.
Members of CUPE locals 2268 and 3730 marched from the Saskatoon Public School Board Office to the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Board office on March 28, 2026. (Marija Robinson/650 CKOM)
Saskatchewan NDP education critic Matt Love, who spoke at the rally, said education support workers are essential to the province’s school system and deserve better compensation.
“Schools don’t work unless you work,” Love said. “Libraries don’t function, front offices don’t function, and classrooms don’t function without education workers.”
Love also pointed to broader funding concerns, saying Saskatchewan has fallen behind other provinces in education investment.
“Our system has been pushed to the breaking point,” he said. “And it’s the workers and the students who are feeling it.”
For workers on the ground, the message Saturday was about more than contracts; it was about recognition.
“When support workers are respected, students succeed,” Simpson said. “And when we stand together, we are unstoppable.”
— with files from CKOM’s Marija Robinson
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