More than 5,500 school support workers may be hitting picket lines across Nova Scotia later this month. Negotiations between eight Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) locals and the province’s English and French school boards to reach renewed collective agreements have not been successful. A letter sent to parents Thursday afternoon says a conciliator has filed a report with the labour minister, declaring an impasse. The support workers do different jobs throughout the province. In Halifax, they include educational program assistants (EPAs) and library support specialists. “We are making plans to ensure that students who require the support of EPAs will continue to be able to access educational services reasonably and safely. Principals will begin reaching out to families who will be impacted to discuss these plans,” said Steve Gallagher, an executive director with Halifax Regional Centre for Education, in the letter. “In the event of a work stoppage, Pre-Primary Programs will be paused.” The potential job action does not include teachers or EXCEL employees, however CUPE says many schools could be forced to close. “Parents and kids across Nova Scotia see every day what happens when there are not enough resources to meet standards: classrooms get dirty, students go without the supports they need, the learning environment is disrupted, and some kids don’t even make it to class because their bus run has been cancelled,” said Nelson Scott, chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions, in a news release. The union plans to strike on Oct. 26 if a deal can’t be reached, although no formal notice has been filed. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
