Nova Scotia school support workers set to strike Monday after talks break down

The union representing school support workers in Nova Scotia said employees are set to strike Monday after talks broke down with the province overnight.

Meanwhile, the province says it is preparing for an extended disruption in schools if the strike goes ahead.

“If there is a work stoppage, we are preparing for it to last into 2027 if necessary,” said Finance Minister John Lohr.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said more than 5,500 workers will be on the picket lines Monday if government does not agree to a $3.50 per hour wage 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.”

1:58 N.S. school support workers may hit the picket line Monday

The union represents educational program assistants (EPAs), teaching assistants, early childhood educators, librarians, bus drivers, janitors and cafeteria workers.

A strike would impact each regional centre for education and Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) differently because employees represented by CUPE vary across the province.

“CUPE has tabled its 48-hour notice of strike, but a strike is not inevitable. We are prepared to continue negotiating. We are asking CUPE to let its members have their say on the latest offer,” Lohr told reporters Friday.

Brendan Maguire, minister of education and early childhood development, said regional centres for education and CSAP have been working to determine what services they can “safely and reasonably provide.”

“Ultimately students should not be caught in the middle of this situation. They deserve stability, support, and the opportunity to continue learning. That remains our focus, and we will continue doing everything we can to support them,” he said.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Cape Breton-Victoria and Strait regional centres for education have told families that all schools will be closed as of Monday. Pre-primary programs will be paused and most students will transition to online learning.

Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education said pre-primary to Grade 5 students will continue to attend school in-person, as well as older students who required Learning Centre supports. All other students will transition to online learning.

Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) said it has been proactively planning for the potential impacts of job action. A spokesperson said principals are working with families of students who require the support of EPAs to assess their needs on a case-by-case basis.

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.

On Friday, she said a strike would have an “immense” impact on her family.

“My daughter deserves an education, even if that education doesn’t look like what other kids’ educations look like,” she said.

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 the 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 per 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.

The finance minister echoed the premier’s sentiments, saying what government has offered is “more than fair.”

“We’ve renegotiated over 400 collective bargaining agreements. We’ve settled Bill 148 at very significant cost. We believe in treating our employees fairly and we care about our employees. We care about all our workers in this sector and all our workers that we have, so we’re working hard to make a fair deal,” said Lohr.

“But we have to look at the overall impact that if we were to accept what CUPE is putting forward, we know that would be a $200 million hit on our budget to an already $1.4 billion deficit. So it’s real money, it’s big dollars and we believe that the offer that is there is more than fair.”

But Paul Wozney, the Official Opposition’s critic for education and labour, said the strike could have been avoided.

“The Houston government could have listened to workers and worked with them to reach a fair agreement. They could have listened to the families who depend on these workers to make sure their kids get the education and support they deserve,” Wozney said in a statement.

Meanwhile, parents are left waiting to see what Monday will bring.

Kristen Scott’s son attends pre-primary in the Halifax area, where the program will be paused, and said she has no choice but to stay home with him.

“I won’t able to work with him home because he very much requires eyes on him at all times. So I’m losing income during this, but it’s not about me,” she said.

“I’m hoping that the government can give these people what they want. Like I said, I think they’re asking for far less than they deserve. The cost of living in this province is absolutely atrocious. We’re the highest taxed province in the entire country and lowest wages. So I hope that they can come to an agreement. They deserve what they’re asking for.”