Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil says his government is willing to look at adjusting the grant that pays the salaries of six striking restorative justice case workers, but he says they need to go back to bargaining with their employer first.
WATCH: Group of Nova Scotia restorative justice caseworkers strike for better pay
The workers, who serve the Halifax area, are employed by the provincially funded Community Justice Society and have been on strike since July 30.
McNeil says he wants to see a contract both sides are happy with before consideration is given to more financial support, although he didn’t expand on how that could work given the current impasse.
READ MORE: Halifax restorative justice caseworkers serve 48-hour strike notice
The small band of case workers, the only unionized group in the system, are seeking pay in line with that paid to provincial probation officers.
Caseworker Shila LeBlanc says the provincial Justice Department has to get involved now because they alone control the funding structure.
LeBlanc says there has been no word of more negotiations with the society, although the striking workers hope they can get back to talks.