More than 4000 public school support staff are preparing to hold strike votes as early as October 17 and 20 which have been designated as potential voting days. The 3,200 school support workers in CUPE local 3550 and 950 custodians in CUPE local 474 after more than four years without current collective agreements. Support workers contemplating job action include educational assistants, library technicians and administrative assistants.

Mandy Lamoureux, president of support workers CUPE local 3550 and Barry Benoit, president of custodians CUPE local 474 both say low wages and non-monetary issues have led to this impasse. If union members vote in favour of a strike, job action could begin 72 hours after notifying the school board to withdraw some or all of their services which would create havoc in publc schools around the city. Edmonton Public Schools's communication director, Carrie Rosa, said Edmonton Public Schools is working hard to reach an agreement with the union locals.

According to Justin Brattinga, press secretary to Alberta's finance minister, CUPE negotiates directly with school boards who get funding from the Province. The province has a formula which determines how much money each school board gets. School boards in in some urban and suburban divisions say the formula fails to provide enough money to keep pace with the rapid enrolment growth they are experiencing.