The Liberal government is asking for more information before deciding whether to go back to the negotiation table with teachers.
On Thursday, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) asked that the government agree to a conciliation board to try and reach a negotiated settlement between the two sides. The teachers have already rejected two tentative agreements that union executive recommended.
In a letter sent to the union Friday, Education Minister Karen Casey requests a “comprehensive itemized list of the articles/issues,” that the union wants to discuss before she makes a decision.
“For clarity, it is not to be inferred that we agree to a conciliation board; rather, I feel it is necessary to have a clear understanding of what NSTU will bring to the board as unresolved issues,” Casey said in her letter.
Premier Stephen McNeil told reporters the government needs the list “to make sure that when we’re going back its positions that were prepared to move on, we’re prepared to work on.”
He wouldn’t say what issues might stop the government from returning to the table but said the government wouldn’t negotiate on compensation.
“The benefits package is what it is,” he said.
Government position ‘intransigent and belligerent’: NDP
Accusing the government of taking an “intransigent and belligerent” approach to the teachers’ union, NDP Leader Gary Burrill called on the government to return to the table.
“What the government needs to do is get to the negotiating table – not a side table, not an end table, not a coffee table – the negotiating table,” Burrill said.
Progressive Conservatives Leader Jamie Baillie says the government is pushing teachers closer to a strike by stalling on talks.
Teachers “want to talk about avoiding a strike and now we’re wondering: does the government want to talk about that?”
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