Custodians at Seine River School Division set to strike Monday

Custodians atSeine River School Divisionare planning to go on strike startingMonday morning.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union Local 143, which represents the47 custodialworkers withthe southeastern Manitoba division,served notice of their intent to start job action Monday at 8 a.m., the MGEUsaid in a release Saturday.

About 4,600 studentsin and around St. Norbert, La Salle, St. Adolphe, le des Chnes, Lorette, Ste. Anne, La Broquerie and Richerattend the division's15 schools, according to Seine River's website.

MGEU president Kyle Ross said it's "hard to say" whether classes will be affected by the strike.

"We're in this unfortunate situation where we have to take job action. We'd much prefer to bargain a fair deal at the table, but the employer's not willing to move," he said in an interview with CBC News.

Staff have been working without a contract since 2021 and hopeto negotiate wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living, the union said in the release.

Last December, members voted to reject the division's offer of general wage increases of about 9.8 per cent over four years. They voted in favour of strike action later that month, said MGEU.

While the division and MGEUreturned to the bargaining table this week, the union said the division refused to change the previous offer.

Ross said the workers have a difficult job and should be paid fairly for it.

"They worked through the pandemic to keep the schools clean and keep everybody safe. And I think they're just looking to be treated as far as everybody else," he said.

Strike headquarters will be outside the division's head office in Lorette.

CBC has contacted the school division for comment.