Nova Scotia teachers will hold a one-day strike Friday in protest of the government’s legislated contract.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia to impose parts of contract previously rejected by teachers
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union said in a release that “the complete lack of respect displayed by Stephen McNeil and his government towards teachers, students and the families” led to their decision.
“We’re going to bring them to Halifax so that they can have a strong presence around this building, and they can … show with a force of strength that they’re sick and tired of this government pushing them around, they’re tired of this government being anti-union, anti-education and anti-teacher,” Doucet said.
Bill 75, introduced Tuesday evening, imposes a four-year contract on the teachers, pulling aspects from the three previously rejected contracts the province offered.
Main points of the contract include:
- Three per cent salary increase over four years — zero per cent for first two years, followed by one per cent in year three, and 1.5 per cent in year four, with a 0.5 per cent increase on the last day of the agreement
- Council to improve classroom conditions, equipped with $20-million budget over two years
- Commission on inclusive education, with aim to implement recommendations by September 2017
- Limiting work-to-rule directives
- Freezes long service award retroactive to 2015
Most notably, the wage pattern in this legislation is the least generous of the three wage packages the union rejected. Casey said Tuesday it’s the same wage pattern offered in the first tentative deal.
Teachers striking a ‘historical’ development
Teachers in Nova Scotia have never done a full strike, and Doucet calls the decision a major one in the union’s history.
“That is huge,” Doucet said. “It’s been 122 years and there has never been a full out strike and at this point it’s a historical moment in the history of the NSTU.”
Doucet said she knows the one-day strike will be a further inconvenience to parents, however she’s confident they, along with students, are in support of the union’s decisions. Doucet sai they chose to wait until Thursday to stage their walk-out to give parents notice to arrange for child care.
“We believe this legislation is unconstitutional and we owe it to our colleagues past, present and future to take this stand,” Doucet said.
READ MORE: What to expect as the Nova Scotia teachers dispute hits the legislature
Government pushing to avert strike
When asked about the strike Premier Stephen McNeil said “obviously this was a possibility,” but he said the legislation was needed to end work-to-rule.
Government House Leader Michel Samson called on the opposition parties to help speed the passage of the teachers’ contract in order to avert the Friday strike. Once it’s passed, any job action by teachers would be illegal.
“If we have cooperation from the opposition, we can make sure that kids will be in class on Friday,” Samson said.
However both parties are making it clear they will fight the legislation at Province House.
READ MORE: Nova Scotia premier says he has caucus support in teachers dispute
Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie said the strike is “the only way” for teachers to make the point that “classrooms are not working for them, and they’re not working for students.”
WATCH: Province confident legislated teachers contract addresses concerns
Teachers voted down the third tentative agreement by 78.5 per cent last week, which prompted the government to announce a legislated settlement to the 16-month labour dispute.
Nova Scotia’s 9,300 public school teachers have been without a contract since their last agreement expired in July 2015.
— With files from Marieke Walsh, Global News.