Halifax-area school support staff have voted against accepting a tentative agreement and a strike is “imminent,” according to their union.
Members of CUPE Local 5047 held a ratification vote this past weekend. In a release Monday, the union says support staff voted “decisively” against the agreement that was negotiated with government but that they’re ready to return to the table to avert a strike.
“Our members were clear that this offer does not address their needs,” CUPE Local 5047 president Chris Melanson said in the release.
The local represents more than 1,800 education workers in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
Staff include assistive technology support workers, child and youth care practitioners, Mi’kmaq and Indigenous student support workers, African Nova Scotian school support workers, SchoolsPlus community outreach workers, educational program assistants, early childhood educators and school library specialists.
‘Possibility’ job action as early as this week
In a letter to families, HRCE regional executive director Steve Gallagher said CUPE and HRCE will return to the bargaining table on Tuesday with a conciliator.
“While we remain hopeful for a resolution on outstanding items, it’s important to remember that CUPE remains in a legal strike position,” he wrote.
“There is a possibility that CUPE members may take job action as early as this week.”
The tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 19 between the Nova Scotia government and support staff from across the province — 5,400 in total. Each local, representing support staff from different regional centres for education and the francophone school board voted independently.
A spokesperson for CUPE said only Local 5047, representing HRCE workers, did not ratify the deal.
Wages have been a sticking point during negotiations.
If a strike were to take place, schools would remain open, the EXCEL program would continue and student transportation would operate as usual.
“Special needs transportation will operate as usual for students who can reasonably and safely attend school without EPA (educational program assistant) support for the duration of a strike,” the letter notes.
However, a strike would mean that EPAs would not be at work, pre-primary classes would be paused and certain support services would not be available.
Parents have been speaking out during the contract negotiations, calling for fair staff wages and expressing concern about what would happen in the event of a strike.
“I can’t imagine our kids can safely go to school without our EPAs there,” Heather Langley told Global News on April 14.
Langley’s daughter, Lucy, requires one-on-one support and without that support, she said her daughter would not be able to attend school.
In HRCE’s latest communication with parents, they said principals have resumed planning for students who require the support of EPAs and “how they will continue to access educational services reasonably and safely.”
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