Twenty-eight education workers received layoff notices this week from their employer, the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board (CBVRSB). The workers, who are members of CUPE Local 5050, include 23 teaching assistants, two secretaries, two supervisor cleaners and one cleaner. A bus driver and an inventory clerk position were also lost through attrition. CUPE and Local 5050 members are devastated by the board’s decision to lay off staff. “It is poor timing considering that the board members recently voted to increase their own wages. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when our members are losing jobs,” says Mary Jessome, CUPE Local 5050 president. “The wage increases add up to approximately $40,000. For that amount, they could have kept a number of staff,” says Jessome.