The union representing school support workers in Nova Scotia says it will be filing a 48-hour strike notice after talks broke down with the province overnight.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says more than 5,500 workers will be on the picket lines Monday if government does not agree to a $3.50/ hour increase for all members by 2029.
“We came back to the bargaining table anticipating that government would make meaningful changes to their final offer,” said Nelson Scott, Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions (NSSBCU) chair and CUPE Local 5050 president, in a news release.
“Ultimately, what they brought us does not get most members to $3.50 by 2030, let alone by 2029.”
The union represents educational program assistants (EPAs), teaching assistants, early childhood educators, librarians, bus drivers, janitors and cafeteria workers.
Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) says it has been proactively planning for the potential impacts of job action. A spokesperson says principals are working with families of students who require the support of EPAs to assess their needs on a case-by-case basis.
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Kirkley Westhaver recently told Global News that her daughter, who requires an EPA in class, would either have to miss school or Westhaver would have to stay in the classroom with her.
HRCE also confirmed that pre-primary programs would be paused in the event of a strike.
‘This is a very fair offer’: Houston
In an open letter to students and families, Premier Tim Houston wrote he was “sorry to report that we must now step up preparations for alternative learning, including online instruction” because of the possible strike.
Houston went on to say “negotiations with this specific union are proving difficult” and that government tabled three different wage offers and made “numerous concessions” during talks.
“Department staff tell me CUPE is now saying that, instead of the established pattern, they insist on an additional 6.3 to 20.2 per cent increase in wage on top of the wage pattern,” Houston said.
“For perspective this could mean an additional $200 million per year if applied across the broader public sector wage pattern. This comes at a time when provincial deficits are already leading to difficult cuts.”
He said government’s current offer includes wage increases ranging from 8.26 to 18.46 per cent over four years, and increases of up to $3.77 an hour for some members.
“This is a very fair offer,” he wrote, adding that students and families will bear the consequences of a strike and urging CUPE to “show flexibility ” by allowing workers to vote on the offer.
More to come
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Source: globalnews.ca
