Canadian Union of Public Workers flag
Over 5400 Nova Scotians that fill various support roles at public schools around the province could be on the picket line by this Friday.
The worker’s roles vary widely from bus drivers to education support workers, with over 30 unique roles represented by this CUPE.
On Saturday, rallies were held around the province in an effort to raise awareness over the issues union members are fighting for.
Wayne Sarty led the rally in Bridgewater and said pay is the primary concern amongst union members with some earning less than $30,000 annually.
“Our deal expired in March 2021, and we’ve been trying since then to get a new deal that recognizes their importance in terms of compensation,” said Sarty.
He says the current deal has led to staff feeling they’re being underpaid and as such retention has become an issue that creates compounding problems.
“We’re already short staffed so people are working longers hours on the same deal which leads to burnout and we end up losing more people from that.”
Negotiations are still ongoing and Sarty says union reps will meet with the province in Halifax on Tuesday.
Sarty is hopeful a tentative deal can be struck, if not the union is legally allowed to take strike action on Friday. Sarty indicated the strike may begin a few days later than that if a deal is not met so they have more time to coordinate.
Union support for strike action is also high with over 97 per cent voting in favour when asked earlier this year.
