World · North America · 5 hrs ago
Nova Scotia school support workers may strike Monday over wages
CUPE says Nova Scotia school support workers could strike Monday, Nov.
2 if employers do not offer a wage deal that meets the union’s demand.
The union says it will issue a 48-hour strike notice on Friday if no acceptable offer is made.
CUPE represents 5,500 workers across the province, including teaching assistants, bus drivers, librarians and janitors.
The union wants wages to rise by at least $3.50 an hour over four years.
Its bargaining council says this would bring the lowest-paid members to at least $24 an hour.
A strike could affect regions differently because workers’ roles vary across school boards.
The union says it wants to avoid a strike and is calling for employers to return to the bargaining table before Monday.
Nova Scotia school support workers could begin a provincewide strike on Monday, Nov. 2, if an acceptable wage deal is not reached.
CUPE says it will issue a 48-hour strike notice on Friday if the employer does not offer a deal meeting its wage demand.
The union is seeking at least $3.50 more per hour over four years.
CUPE represents 5,500 workers in Nova Scotia, including education assistants, bus drivers, librarians and janitors.
Nelson Scott, chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions, said the demand would bring the lowest-paid members to at least $24 an hour.
- Who
- School support workers represented by CUPE in Nova Scotia.
- What
- CUPE says it will issue a 48-hour strike notice if its wage demand is not met; a provincewide strike could begin Monday.
- When
- The notice is planned for Friday, with a possible strike beginning Monday, Nov. 2.
- Where
- Across Nova Scotia.
- Why
- The union is seeking at least $3.50 more per hour over four years.
CUPE
Government and employers
Wage offer
CUPE
CUPE wants a deal that raises wages by at least $3.50 per hour over four years.
Government and employers
The sources do not state the government’s or employers’ wage offer.
Negotiations
CUPE
CUPE says the government and employers should return to the bargaining table before Monday.
Government and employers
CUPE says they have not returned to the table; their position is not stated.
The Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions posted a bargaining update.
Nelson Scott told CBC Radio's Information Morning Cape Breton that the wage demand would bring the lowest-paid members to at least $24 an hour.
CUPE says it will issue a 48-hour strike notice if an acceptable deal is not offered.
A provincewide strike would begin if an acceptable deal is not presented.
- Wage demand
- At least $3.50 more per hour over four years
- Workers represented
- 5,500
- Possible strike date
- Monday, Nov. 2
- Strike notice
- 48 hours, planned for Friday
- Lowest-paid members' target wage
- At least $24 an hour
3 sources
What people are saying
This weekend, we were hoping that government and the employers would come back to the table, knowing that a strike is looming. Instead of taking the opportunity to settle our contract before job action, they're trying to wait us out.
We don't want to be on strike. We want to be in the school doing what we do to help the students and support the students and their families.
We are doing everything we can to avoid this job action. But if the government don't come back to the table, it leaves us no other choice.