As teachers prepare for their work-to-rule job action Monday, the province’s union for government and general employees are telling its members not to take on the duties of teachers if asked by school boards.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia teachers work-to-rule: What does it mean for you?
The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) said in a release Friday it learned that some administrators at school boards were “asking our members to violate the Department of Education’s own provincial guidelines.”
NSGEU president Jason MacLean said under the guidelines non-teaching staff, such as educational assistants, cannot take on the responsibilities of teachers, including supervising students during breaks or before or after school without a Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) member present.
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“We have advised all of our members who work in a support capacity in our schools to refuse these additional duties, and are calling on government to immediately provide an explanation of how they plan to ensure the well-being and safety of students,” MacLean said in a release.
Concerns over student safety were raised this week after teachers announced they would work-to-rule, which meant they would arrive 20 minutes before school and leave 20 minutes after the end of day. The Halifax Regional School Board said as a result students on 15 bus routes would be at school before teachers arrive and after they leave.
READ MORE: Halifax school board to change bus schedules while teachers work-to-rule
On Thursday, the board changed some bus schedules in order to ensure pick-up and drop-off times were within the time period teachers would be at school. Only 15 of the board’s 250 routes with Stock Transportation are affected.
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MacLean added they advised their members they have the right to refuse doing work normally done by NSTU members and would be protected from disciplinary action under the Trade Union Act.
Members of the NSGEU will be casting their vote Dec. 12-14 on whether to accept a tentative deal with the government. A year ago the union recommended its members accept the contract, but later retracted the recommendation, influenced by the downward spiral in negotiations between teachers and the government.
READ MORE: NSGEU set to vote on long-delayed contract for 7,600 civil servants
The NSGEU represents 7,600 civil servants in the province.
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