Halifax-area school support staff reject tentative agreement

School support workers in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education voted to reject a tentative agreement with their employer that was reached last month.

The workers include early childhood educators, educational program assistants, assistive technology support workers, child and youth care practitioners, Mi'kmaw and Indigenous student support workers, African Nova Scotian school support workers, SchoolsPlus community outreach workers and school library specialists.

CUPE Local 5047 represents more than 1,800 workers in the HRCE.

"Our members were clear that this offer does not address their needs," said Chris Melanson, president of the local, in a news release issued Monday afternoon. "We're ready and willing to come back to the table to avert a strike if government has something better to offer. At this point, the ball is in their court, and they're on the clock."

School support workers throughout the province were two days away from striking when the tentative agreement was announced last month.

Each regional centre for education in the province, as well as the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, has its own union local, which must ratify the tentative agreement. A spokesperson for CUPE said all locals aside from the HRCE local voted to accept the deal.

Strike could happen this week

Negotiations between the union and the HRCE are expected to resume on Tuesday. Members of CUPE Local 5047 could go on strike as early as Wednesday if talks fail.

The union did not share the percentage of voting members who voted against ratifying the deal, but Melanson said in an interview it was "an overwhelming representation of the members."

Both Melanson and Steve Gallagher, the regional executive director of the HRCE, said wages were the outstanding sticking point.

"It wasn't enough money in their pocket," said Melanson of the wage proposals. "It wasn't enough for the work that they have been doing. They definitely don't feel that government looked out for them and wanted to compensate them for the great jobs that they've already been doing."

He said union members are looking for a four-year contract with a wage increase of more than what the employer was offering — 6.5 per cent over a three-year contract.

Gallagher said he was "surprised" by the vote.

"I had talked to a number of people over the last couple of weeks and my sense was that the offer was fair and that people were open to reviewing it. Obviously the folks I spoke to didn't represent the majority."

In a statement, Labour Minister Allan MacMaster said he is disappointed the tentative agreement was rejected in Halifax.

"The union asked for common table bargaining, alignment of agreement dates and wage parity across the province — and the employers delivered on each one," the statement said.

"We know that any talk of a strike is stressful, and we want to assure families that schools will have plans in place to ensure continued learning in case there is a strike."

Impacts on families

He said his focus is now on preparing schools and families for the possibility of a labour disruption.

In a message to families Monday afternoon, Gallagher said in the event of a labour disruption, schools will remain open, student transportation will continue as usual and the Excel before-and-after school program will operate.

However, the pre-primary program would be paused if a strike occurs, along with services normally provided by library specialists, SchoolsPlus community outreach workers, child and youth care practitioners, Mi'kmaw, Indigenous and African Nova Scotian student support workers and assistive technology support workers.

Principals have resumed planning for students who require the support of EPAs and how they will access services safely, and more information will be shared as it becomes available, the message said.