Just days before a possible strike, the provincial government and the union supporting more than 5,500 school support workers are back to the table Thursday, days before a possible strike.
In a statement on Thursday, CUPE said they were planning on issuing a 48-hour strike notice Friday after talks stalled, with a strike set for Monday.
It includes positions such as early childhood educators, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, janitors and more.
However, Thursday afternoon, Houston said they have reached out to the union.
“I urge CUPE to keep students and families at the centre of these negotiations and work with us toward a reasonable agreement,” said Houston in a statement on social media.
“If CUPE chooses to strike, forcing many schools to move online and cancel programs as a result, students and their families will bear the consequences.”
The union said quality of education and wages are the key sticking points. They are asking for $3.50 an hour wage increase over four years for each member.
In a statement, President of CUPE Nelson Scott says, “We look forward to seeing the government’s revised position and we are confident that they have heard from Nova Scotian’s how important school support workers are to our communities.”
Soctt says they will be happy to recommend a tentative agreement that addresses serious concerns, working conditions and compensation.
Houston said there is still an opportunity to reach an agreement.
…more to come…
