Nova Scotia School Support Workers Set to Strike Monday After Rejecting Government Wage Offer
Approximately 5,500 CUPE school support workers in Nova Scotia filed a 48-hour strike notice on Friday after rejecting the provincial government's latest wage offer. The workers plan to walk out on Monday, November 2, unless their demand for a $3.50 per hour increase by 2029 is met.
Approximately 5,500 school support workers across Nova Scotia are scheduled to go on strike on Monday, November 2, after the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) filed a 48-hour strike notice on Friday. The workers, represented by eight CUPE locals, rejected the provincial government's latest wage offer following extended negotiations.
The bargaining session lasted eight hours and concluded at 3:00 AM on Friday, when the government presented a wage increase of 9.86% over five years. The union stated that this offer amounts to only $2.22 per hour over five years for those receiving the least increase. CUPE is seeking a pay increase of $3.50 per hour for all members by 2029.
Nelson Scott, Chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions (NSSBCU) and President of CUPE Local 5050, said the government's offer does not get most members to $3.50 by 2030, let alone 2029.
The workers planning to strike include early childhood educators, librarians, student support workers, educational program assistants, teaching assistants, bus drivers, janitors, cafeteria workers, and Black Nova Scotian and Mi'kmaw student support workers.
In response to the failed negotiations, CUPE planned to host "Trunk or Treat" rallies at MLA constituency offices across the province on Saturday.
Brendan Maguire, Nova Scotia's minister of education and early childhood development, stated that the education system was prepared for a strike, with regional centres laying out contingency plans. These plans vary by region. In Halifax, pre-primary programs would pause while primary to grade 12 students remain in person. In the Annapolis Valley, grades 6 to 12 would move online.