There are mixed emotions for school support workers in the Halifax area as they return to the classroom for the first time in more than a month.
Although they’re happy to see their students again, they say the fight is far from over. A parent who joined them on the picket lines says she’ll also carry on the fight for them and the students who could not go to class.
“The excitement from the kids definitely uplifts a lot of our spirits,” says African Nova Scotian student support worker Phillip Jackson.
“It’s amazing to be back around the kids; to me, they’re kind of like family,” adds outreach worker Tracey Williams.
He was one of the more than 1,800 employees who returned to schools within the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) on Monday.
Those staff members include early childhood educators (ECEs), educational program assistants (EPAs), librarians, and African Nova Scotian student support workers.
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The members had been off the job since May 10th, when they took to the picket lines to call for better wages.
They’re happy to end the school year on a positive note, but warn emotions are mixed around the agreement reached over the weekend.
The deal includes improvements to retroactive pay, casual workers, and better health and safety provisions. But it does not come with wage increases higher than what other regions accepted.
“I’m very melancholy when it comes to that,” says Williams. “I still feel the government played us short, but in the same breath we’re here for these children, we’re here for these families.”
Now they’re playing catch up.
“A lot of students are informing us of some undesirable experiences they had because of our absence,” says Jackson. “I’m hoping that’s something that can be looked at and addressed.”
In a statement, HRCE Communications Officer Lindsey Bunin says they’ve received “wonderful feedback” from schools on Monday.
“These absences were felt across all HRCE schools,” Bunin says. “We are pleased that everyone is back to finish off the school year together.”
Heather Langley’s daughter was overjoyed to see her EPAs again.
“A huge smile getting on the bus and shrieks of excitement,” describes Langley of Lucy’s commute to school.
But she says it’s not fair the Grade 5 student and many others who require extra support were locked out of school for five weeks.
“The hurt is still there for a lot of families,” says Langley. “We know that our children were discriminated against.”
She has filed a human rights complaint against the government.
“This isn’t done for us,” Langley says. “I feel like we will be fighting this for years. This government needs to understand that we have an inclusive education policy.”
The workers say their fight isn’t over either. Their current contract is set to expire in the spring.
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