Re-elected teachers union president hopes for better relationship with new premier

Teachers across Nova Scotia have voted to keep Paul Wozney as their president.

An electronic vote was held Tuesday, where 9,300 members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union had the chance to cast a ballot for their preferred candidate.

"I'm very grateful, but most of all, I'm humbled," said Wozney, a former Bedford high school teacher who was first elected in May 2018.

"The vote's done, the results are in, and now it's time to get to work."

Winner with 81%

Wozney received 81 per cent of the vote Tuesday, defeating Shelburne County teacher Colleen Scott. A total of 5,963 union members — about 63 per cent of the membership — voted.

He holds the job in a difficult time, as teachers grapple with the challenges of educating amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

When he was first elected in 2018, teachers had just gone through work-to-rule job action as a way of protesting Bill 75, a controversial piece of legislation that imposed a contract on Nova Scotia teachers. It eventually passed in February 2017, leading to the first strike by public school teachers in Nova Scotia history.

At the time, Wozney said the union had to re-establish its credibility as "an advocate for education." He said he hoped to bring in more meaningful dialogue and collaboration with the province.

Even after a battle over whether schools were safe and ready to open on time in September, Wozney said recent events show that relationship is improving.

The union just reached a tentative agreement with the province for a new contract, and specialists like school psychologists and speech language pathologists are back in the union after a two-year battle.

If the contract is ratified by members, Wozney said that would be a "massive step forward" in rebuilding procedural trust with the government and toward collaborating on big changes within the system.

"I think most Nova Scotians have been waiting for government and teachers to put past differences aside and get down to the business of improving public education, and that's exactly what I hope to do," he said.

New Liberal leader could set different tone: Wozney

While he regularly speaks with Education Minister Zach Churchill, Wozney said the upcoming change in leadership within the Liberal government and upcoming election is an opportunity for that to "grow and evolve." He said Premier Stephen McNeil has never accepted his offer to sit down in person and "reset" the relationship between the NSTU and the province.

Liberal Party members select their new leader on Feb. 6. Leadership hopefuls include MLAs Randy Delorey, Labi Kousoulis and Iain Rankin.

"We look forward to seeing the results of the leadership campaign and forging a better way forward than we've had in the recent past," Wozney said.

"Better is possible and there's really no reason why we shouldn't get there."

Wozney's two-year term will begin Feb. 21, 2021, and will be slightly shorter than his last one because the campaign had to be delayed due to COVID-19, he said.

His top priorities are pushing for a different plan to handle COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, and inclusive education.