Photo Ed Halverson

It’s business as usual at schools across Nova Scotia as the province and the union representing school support workers have come to a tentative agreement.

The deal still needs to be ratified by the 5,400 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

The tentative agreement was announced early Wednesday morning.

The union was poised to strike at 12:01 Friday.

CUPE represents a wide range of school support workers across Nova Scotia including bus drivers, cleaners, maintenance and tradespeople, Early Childhood Educators, Educational Program Assistants and Teaching Assistants, and food services staff.

The union was fighting for increased wages.

A petition circulated by CUPE indicates most members earn below Nova Scotia’s median wage of $35,000 per year an amount which has fallen significantly behind inflation.

Neither union executives or government officials are willing to comment on the details until union membership has had a chance to review and vote on the tentative agreement.

Union officials did say they will work to get the information to members and arrange a vote as quickly as possible.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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SSRCE School Bus. Photo Ed Halverson

Students may be getting an extra-long weekend if the province and the union representing school support workers can’t come to an agreement on a new contract.

Approximately 5,400 members of CUPE, the Canadian Union of Public Employees will be in a legal strike position effective 12:01 Friday morning.

CUPE represents a wide range of school support workers across Nova Scotia including bus drivers, cleaners, maintenance and tradespeople, Early Childhood Educators, Educational Program Assistants and Teaching Assistants, and food services staff.

The sticking point in negotiations appears to be wages.

In a petition circulated by CUPE in November the union states the “majority of members earn below Nova Scotia’s median wage of $35,000 per year. Our wages have fallen significantly behind inflation. More than half of our members have had to take other jobs to make ends meet, and the vast majority find that wage increases since 2015 have not met our financial needs.”

Because the union represents so many people across the province the impact of a strike will be felt differently depending on the region.

CUPE Local 4682 represents workers on the South Shore.

The South Shore Regional Centre for Education sent a notification explaining the impacts a strike will have on schools:

• Grades Pre-Primary – 6 students will continue to attend classes at their school.
• Learning for most Grades 7 – 12 students will shift to online except for students who regularly attend class in the learning center who can continue to do so.
• Bussing will not be available for any students, unless previous arrangements are in place for the child to be bussed privately.
• Schools will not be available for before or after school use, except for any existing childcare programs.
• Extracurricular activities that require the use of the interior of the school or school buses are suspended. However, class trips or other activities that do not involve interior school use or buses, as well as sports on fields and school grounds, may continue.

In the statement released April 14, the Regional Centre goes on to say, “We all hope that we can reach an agreement to avoid a labour disruption. However, we must continue to develop plans to ensure that student learning can continue, if a strike occurs.”

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.