It looks like a strike will be avoided among Prairie Rose School Division support staff.

CUPE Local 4071 represents workers including educational assistants, librarians, bus drivers, maintenance and IT staff. Last month, 85 per cent of voters opted to strike following a proposal from the Prairie Rose School Division that was considered a 'slap in the face.'

Tracey Stephen, president of CUPE Local 4071, says they were seeking a collective agreement that was on par with division teachers of 1.6 per cent, 1.4 per cent, .5 per cent and COLA (cost of living allowance) for the four year collective agreement of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. That has now be granted and members will vote to ratify the deal next week.

"The next step is on Sept. 8th, we will be having a ratification vote with our members, and if they accept the deal that we were offered then I sign off and we get our back pay," explains Stephen. "It is a major milestone, especially, too, for the other few divisions out there that are not going to be playing nice, I guess is what you call it. Some of them are still standing firm. And so this helps the other Locals with, hopefully, getting fairness."

Voting takes place 7 p.m., Sept. 8 at the Elm Creek Community Hall. Members unable to attend in person can send their yes or not vote to Murielle at murimacmillan@gmail.com.

"I wish to thank all of our Brothers and Sisters who believed in fairness for all and standing together as one," Stephen stated in a post to the Local's website. "Thank you to the Bargaining Committee for uncounted hours of working together."

Stephen says if members vote in support of the new deal, the upcoming school year will not be affected. The Prairie Rose School Division consists of 2,300 students and employs 395 staff members. There are 17 Hutterian schools and ten community schools in the division.