Nova Scotia teachers returning to work-to-rule Monday

Nova Scotia teachers are resuming work-to-rule Monday, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) announced Friday.

The union said in a release they have “lost trust” in Premier Stephen McNeil after remarks that the two extra days off allotted in the latest offer would be considered marking or prep days, rather than actual days off.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia teachers work-to-rule: What does it mean for you?

If students are in classrooms and substitute teachers have to be called in, McNeil said they must be used as prep days. The union says that “contradicted documents the NSTU received during the bargaining process.”

“Again the premier has demonstrated that he is incapable of bargaining in good faith,” NSTU President Liette Doucet said in a release.

“The premier is already backing away from commitments made in the new tentative agreement. If the premier is capable of misleading our members of two self-directed development days, then he is capable of misleading parents about the $20 million outlined in the deal to improve classroom conditions.”

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READ MORE: NS committed to classroom change with latest offer to teachers: premier

In the language of the tentative agreement, the two days in question are referred to as “two days of leave with pay per school year for self-directed preparation/development of the teacher.”

“Effective the signing date of this agreement, permanent, probationary, and teachers with a term contract of a minimum 175 days will be provided one day of leave with pay during the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year for self-directed preparation/development of the teacher,” the contract reads.

The union maintains teachers want improvements made when it comes to classroom working conditions, which is why they’re “taking this stand.”

The two parties have been in a heated contract dispute since the last teachers’ contract expired in July, 2015.

READ MORE: Details of NS teachers’ tentative agreement raise concerns

Teachers were expected to vote on the latest contract offer Feb. 8, however there’s no indication at this time when more talks may happen between the two sides.

Teachers ended their first work-to-rule campaign, which began in December, last week after the NSTU and the government reached a tentative deal.