Over 82 percent of the province’s teachers have voted in favour of illegal job action.
The results of the vote were released today by the President of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, Liette Doucet in Halifax.
Doucet says 93 percent of union members cast a vote.
“The teachers in Nova Scotia sent a very powerful message, and provided us with a very strong strike mandate. They made this decision knowing they could face a loss of pay and very heavy fines. Teachers are so concerned about students and the future of education in this province, that they are willing to accept hardship in hopes that it will demonstrate to government that the only way forward is through meaningful consultation.”
Doucet says the NSTU is calling on Education Minister Zach Churchill and Premier Stephen McNeil to meet with them.
She says they want to discuss the recommendations of the Glaze report with government, and for the province to put a halt to them.
Doucet says if job action does take place, parents will be notified in advance, but she wouldn’t give an exact timeline.
Government is expected to introduce legislation to adopt 11 of 22 recommendations from the Glaze report on education administration.
They include removing principals and vice-principals from the NSTU and eliminating school boards to create one provincial advisory board.
If a strike does take place, it would be the second one in a calendar year by the province’s teachers.
Churchill spoke to media in Halifax just before 5.
He says a meeting will take place as soon as possible with the NSTU, and ‘meaningful conversations’ will take place.
Churchill says however government is not willing to push the pause button on the recommendations, and the status quo of the education administration system is not an option.
