Nova Scotia Parents of Children With Disabilities Fear Impact of Potential CUPE School Support Worker Strike
Parents in Nova Scotia are expressing anxiety and frustration over a potential strike by approximately 5,500 CUPE school support workers. While no 48-hour notice had been filed as of Monday, families warn that a work stoppage would disrupt essential services for vulnerable students, including educational program assistants and early childhood educators.
Approximately 5,500 Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) school support workers in Nova Scotia could go on strike, though no 48-hour notice had been filed as of Monday. The uncertainty is causing significant anxiety and anger among parents of children with disabilities, who rely on these staff members for safety, communication, feeding, warmth, and learning assistance.
Kristen Scott, a mother of a child with a disability, posted a video message criticizing the potential strike and the government's handling of support staff negotiations. Robin Gushue, another parent, described the specific needs of her daughter Olivia, who has cerebral palsy. Olivia requires constant accompaniment and two support workers to transfer from her wheelchair. Parents argue that strikes would constitute discrimination against disabled children and disrupt established safety plans for students with complex physical needs. A strike could also force a shift to online or home learning for certain grades.
Shelley McNeil, president of CUPE Local 5047, stated that more than 50 educational program assistants (EPAs) were laid off in the fall despite increasing student needs. CUPE claims these layoffs are tied to provincial directives and argues that support staff are chronically understaffed and undervalued.
The Nova Scotia government disputes this characterization. Communications representative Krista Higdon stated that Regional Centres for Education offered annual raises totaling at least seven per cent over four years, with lower-wage earners receiving closer to 17 per cent. The government asserts that staffing changes reflect decreased enrollment rather than arbitrary reductions, and that support plans are reviewed to promote student independence. According to the province, data from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) does not align with CUPE's speculation regarding layoffs.
The HRCE funded 1,046 EPAs for the 2025-26 school year and added five additional EPAs this year, bringing the total to 1,051. The current labor dispute involves eight regional centres for education and eight CUPE locals across the province. School support staff in the Halifax area previously went on strike for roughly six weeks in 2023, leaving families concerned about a repeat disruption to essential services.