Union Wants To See Both Teachers And ECEs In Pre-Primary, Says NSTU President

Nova Scotia Teachers Union president Paul Wozney, says they aren’t looking to oust Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) from their positions.

Wozney was reacting to a recent email sent to ECEs yesterday, that informed them of a NSTU grievance filed on the staffing of the province’s pre-primary program.

He says when the grievance was filed in 2017, the pre-primary program was just rolling out and they were concerned with the staffing model.

He believes the union has been consistent in its position that teachers need to be a part of the pre-primary program since it was implemented.

Ideally, Wozney says, the best case scenario would be children being supported by both teachers and ECEs.

“That they’re getting that actual interaction with a teacher, as an essential part of that school readiness,” says Wozney. “It also gives us an additional year to start navigate where there are children who have complex needs.”

Wozney says NSTU recognizes the value of the work done by ECEs and they’re not looking for the mass termination of those positions.

“The best case scenario for kids is that children are supported both by early childhood educators and a classroom teacher.”

He says any resulting policy would be implemented province-wide.

“The grievance is ultimately about the policy,” says Wozney. “Really, what it means is the hiring of teachers in addition to the staff that’s already there, this is not about a loss of opportunity or employment.”

As far as the ECEs who are not yet unionized, Wozney says he understands their worries.

He has been in talks with Nan McFadgen, the president of the Nova Scotia branch of Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents many of the province’s ECEs.

Wozney says NSTU has been respectful when it comes to organizing workers and has not yet approached early childhood educators to join their union, rather waiting for unions that represent other education employees to do so.

However, he says they are giving some thought to reaching out to ECEs who haven’t joined bargaining units, to see how they might be able to help.

Arbitration mediation on the matter is set for July.

Story by Brittany Wentzell

Twitter: @BrittWentzell

Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca