Thousands of Nova Scotia teachers have already voted on their union’s contentious third collective agreement with the province.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia teachers signal another ‘no’ vote for proposed contract
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union is recommending teachers accept the agreement, and has put on a strong sales pitch with union members to accept the deal. Though, it also recommended teachers accept the previous two contracts which teachers ultimately rejected.
By noon Thursday, more than 80 per cent of teachers had voted on the contract. Voting ends at 8 p.m. with the results expected to be released by 9 p.m.
Several teachers have spoken out against the latest proposal to Global News, and many more have spoken out against it on social media. But last week union president Liette Doucet said she believes there are also many teachers who are in favour of the deal but are keeping their perspective private.
READ MORE: NSTU tentative agreement vote delayed by stormy weather
Education Minister Karen Casey told reporters Thursday she is hopeful for a “positive” outcome and “optimistic” that teachers will accept the deal.
WATCH: Thousands of Nova Scotia teachers have already voted on their union’s contentious third collective agreement with the province. Marieke Walsh reports.
Vote could end work-to-rule: Minister
Teachers have been working-to-rule since December, after teachers voted in favour of a strike mandate. Since then, they’ve have faced pressure to stop the job action which limits extra help, school trips, hours worked, extracurricular activities and more.
The job action has divided parents, teachers, and students.
“Regardless of the vote, there will be a period of transition when the work-to-rule no longer exists,” Casey said.
She said she expects the transition period out of work-to-rule to begin “immediately.”
Doucet disputed this claim though, saying that if teachers vote “yes,” the job action will end, but said if the vote is a “no,” it will continue until they see what the next steps are.
“Whatever the decision is, we will move forward with the will of the membership,” Doucet said.
“We understand there are many members who don’t believe there is enough in this agreement to deal with the issues that they’re facing every day.”
Asked about the uncertainty around a possible “no” vote, Casey said she’s “feeling that uncertainty as well.”
She said that’s why she’s “optimistic that teachers will have recognized that there are things in this agreement which do respond to some of the concerns they’ve raised about classroom conditions, and that they will accept the fact that it is going to make their teaching environment better.”
-More to come.
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