Nova Scotia and CUPE Return to Bargaining Table Ahead of Potential School Support Staff Strike
The Nova Scotia government and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are resuming negotiations on Thursday after the union threatened a provincewide strike by 5,500 school support workers scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Nova Scotia provincial government are returning to the bargaining table on Thursday after the union representing school support workers received indication that the province is willing to resume negotiations.
Across the province, CUPE represents 5,500 workers, including early childhood educators, educational program assistants, teaching assistants, bus drivers, librarians, janitors, cafeteria workers, and student support workers. The union stated it would issue a 48-hour strike notice on Friday if the employer did not offer a deal boosting wages by at least $3.50 an hour over four years. If an acceptable deal was not presented, a provincewide strike was set to begin on Monday, Nov. 2.
Nelson Scott, chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions, stated the wage demand would bring the lowest-paid CUPE members up to a wage of at least $24 an hour.
Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Brendan Maguire said he did not want to comment on specific contract demands because the bargaining process is ongoing but encouraged CUPE to come to the table to prevent job actions.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender stated that families across the province are making emergency plans in the event of a strike and criticized the government for being less able to bargain with front-line workers. A potential provincewide strike could affect different regions differently due to varying worker representation, and the education system could grind to a halt without front-line workers.