NSGEU President Sandra Mullen speaks to a striking working in Chester. Photo courtesy NSGEU

School support workers are a week into their strike with no end in sight.

The members of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) Local 70 and 73 representing the South Shore and Annapolis Valley are striking to demand equal pay with their counterparts across the province.

NSGEU president Sandra Mullen says the pay scale for every other civil servant in Nova Scotia is the same regardless of where they live, and school workers should be no different.

“The wage for a nurse is the same no matter where they work and the MLAs. The base salary for an MLA is the same across this province whether they are in Metro, Sydney or Yarmouth or in between, it’s the same,” said Mullen.

Striking union members were in the Nova Scotia Legislature on Tuesday to allow MLAs to put a face on the workers on the picket line.

On the floor, NDP MLA Kendra Coombes asked Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Becky Druhan why someone working in the minister’s own riding shouldn’t be paid the same as someone from the city.

The minister replied her government supports parity for all workers across the province, but her department is not directly involved in negotiations.

“There seems to be a misconception across the table as to who exactly is party to the collective agreements that we have in place in education,” said Druhan. “I’d like to remind the members that the parties to our agreements in education are the Regions or the CSAP and the unions. Those are the parties who bargain these deals, those are the parties who are negotiating.”

Mullen isn’t buying it.

She says under the previous school board structure each board would set their own budget and work within it when bargaining wages.

Mullen says since the previous Liberal government under Stephen McNeil abolished the school boards and created the Regional Centres for Education, the money is funnelled from the department so there’s no reason not to set provincial standards for wages.

“So, I believe they’re just throwing it back on the Regional Centre for Education as the employer. Perhaps they are the employer but there’s no doubt in my mind that the decisions they make come from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Learning [Development],” said Mullen. “That is how we have seen pre-primary programs put in every school is because its provincial it’s the same. So, if we’re going to offer the same curriculum, the same programs in all of those schools, support, outreach programs, all of those things, there’s no reason why they can’t be paid the same.”

A conciliator has invited the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education and NSGEU Local 73 back to the table for a meeting Friday.

No word yet on when the South Shore Regional Centre for Education and its union will return to negotiations.

Meanwhile, striking workers are resolved to stay out of schools and walking picket lines until they get equal pay for equal work.

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Premier Stephen McNeil. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Friday marked the final time Premier Stephen McNeil would provide a COVID update to Nova Scotians.

McNeil noted the milestone was significant as it was the 100^th time he and the province’s chief medical officer Dr. Robert Strang appeared together to give the latest update on the pandemic and vaccinations.

The premier was asked to reflect on the last eleven months and if there is anything he would like to have done differently.

McNeil said it was important for officials to recognize what they didn’t know about the virus, such as the asymptomatic transmission but overall, was proud of the response by Nova Scotians.

“When we started early on, there were so many unknowns for us. That’s why we acted very quickly and aggressively in shutting down parts of our economy. I think those decisions early on, with the acknowledgement of what we didn’t know, allowed us to be in a position where good parts of our economy are functioning as long as people continue to follow the public health protocols,” said McNeil.

Dr. Strang announced new precautions for travellers from Newfoundland who aren’t required to self-isolate such as long-haul truckers.

Beginning Sunday, COVID-19 testing will be mandatory for anyone arriving by ferry.

Strang also unveiled the locations of 10 community based vaccination clinics, which will be rolled out beginning March 8 in Halifax, New Minas, Sydney and Truro.

Residents of the South Shore will wait to rollup their sleeves until March 22 when a clinic will be opened in Bridgewater.

Seniors 80 years of age and older are the first eligible to receive the injection. MSI will contact those selected by letter to book an appointment.

The province is reporting two new cases of COVID-19, one in the Eastern and one in the Central zone to bring the total to 15 active cases in Nova Scotia.

McNeil said getting to know Dr. Strang was something good that came out of this pandemic.

“Good male role-models are hard to find and last March I found one. He’s an extraordinary Nova Scotian who I think, all of us, owe a great debt of gratitude to. I’m really proud, not only of what he’s been able to do here, but I’m really proud of the fact that I got to know the man,” said McNeil. “I want to say to all Nova Scotians, he may be a great public health doctor but he’s an even better man.”

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Strang was equally complimentary of McNeil.

“The premier’s been on the hot seat for a lot of things and I’ve learned a lot in the last year and I can understand why the premier is tired after seven years. But what I’ve seen is somebody who is principled and honest and as I said in my remarks, always, throughout the past year, has put the health of Nova Scotians first and foremost and I have great respect for the premier for that,” said Strang.

Incoming premier-elect Iain Rankin will replace Premier McNeil on Tuesday. McNeil addressed Nova Scotians directly in his final remarks.

“I can’t tell you what it has meant to me over the last 11 months, for you generosity of spirit and your kindness towards me and your thoughtfulness of supporting me and asking me how I’m doing. At the same time you wrapped your arms around each other,” said McNeil. “You know, we take for granted sometimes this beautiful province we live in. We have beautiful scenery, we have magnificent views, we don’t often look back and say you know, the people are pretty good too. You demonstrated that in spades over the last 11 months and I am deeply grateful. My family and I are deeply grateful for the kindness that you’ve shown.”

McNeil asked Nova Scotians to continue to show that kindness and support to Iain Rankin when he takes office next week.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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PC Leader Tim Houston. Photo Ed Halverson

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled Nova Scotians should know how much the province is spending on the Yarmouth Ferry.

Leader Tim Houston and the PC party took the province and operator Bay Ferries to court to learn what Nova Scotians are paying in management fees to the company.

He calls the verdict a good decision.

“It’s only the government that wanted to keep it hidden. Everyone else knows it should be out there. So I’m happy that the Supreme Court has now seen what most Nova Scotians would know. That this is public information that should be made public,” said Houston.

Premier Stephen McNeil and successive ministers of transportation and infrastructure renewal have refused to release the details of the arrangement as they say it would put Bay Ferries at a competitive disadvantage.

McNeil argued the government has been forthcoming with the financial details.

“Every penny that has been spent on the Yarmouth Ferry has actually been accounted for,” said McNeil. “What we’re talking about is proprietary information of a company. Where I disagree, vehemently, with Mr. Houston is you should not be able to dig in and put a company at a disadvantage and I believe that’s what this does.”

In court documents, Bay Ferries Limited CEO Mark MacDonald says they considered the management fee to be the profit margin to operate the ferry.

The PC party filed a freedom of information request in 2016 to learn the details of Bay Ferries management fee and in late 2018, the privacy commissioner determined government should release that information.

When government refused to follow the commissioner’s guidance the PCs took their request to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.

In a 23-page decision released Tuesday, Justice C. Richard Coughlan said the evidence presented did not demonstrate either Bay Ferries Limited or the government of Nova Scotia would be negatively affected by the release of the management fee.

Under cross-examination, CEO MacDonald acknowledged while competitors may be able to glean how Bay Ferries approaches their fee structure based on this management fee, the amount the company would charge in a future circumstance could be different.

Houston says the PC party supports the Yarmouth ferry under the right circumstances.

“I see potential in the market but we have to find the right deal and that means at the right cost, that means at the right schedule, that means with the right vessel,” said Houston. “There’s a lot of moving parts to it and I think the taxpayer has been let down.”

Premier McNeil is concerned the ruling will scare private business from working with government in the future.

“This sends the wrong signal,” said McNeil. “It puts a chill over private-sector investment in this province and if that’s what the Conservative government wants to run in the next election, good luck.”

Premier Stephen McNeil. Photo Nova Scotia Government

Houston says whenever someone does business with the province of Nova Scotia, they should expect it to be made public.

“Just like when you make a political contribution to a party, it will be made public. That’s just the deal. The taxpayers always have a right to know where their money went and then they can decide. That’s what elections are for. People will decide if they think government made wise decisions with their money but they have the right to know what decisions were made with their money. That’s just the way it works,” said Houston.

The management fee was not released in court documents as Bay Ferries Limited and the provincial government now have 30 days to decide whether they will appeal the decision.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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