Nova Scotia’s schools are warning parents of a potential strike by support staff later this month that could significantly impact some students.

The province’s regional centres for education and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial have been in contract negotiations with the Canadian Union of Public Employees for several months.

The union represents 5,500 workers including early childhood educators in the pre-primary program, educational program assistants and teaching assistants, bus drivers, librarians, janitors, cafeteria workers, African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaw student support workers, and others.

Negotiations are ongoing in some regions, including on Oct. 16 in the Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education, Oct. 19 in the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education and Oct. 23 in the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial.

If no deal is reached, CUPE members would be in a legal strike position on Oct. 26.

While each centre negotiates concerns that are particular to their area at their own bargaining tables, there are other issues that are common to all centres, such as wages and benefits.

Nelson Scott, chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions, which co-ordinates bargaining efforts for union members, said negotiators are still aiming for an agreement.

“We’re still hopeful that we get a deal at the tables and we’re striving very hard for that,” Scott said. “We want a deal. We don’t want to … take job action with the centres, but we want a fair deal that’s good for everybody.”

The union represents different support workers in different parts of the province, so a strike would have different impacts depending on the region.

Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education

If a strike occurred, students in grades pre-primary to 5 would continue to attend school in person, as would experiential school students.

Students in grades 6 to 12 who need support from the learning centre would attend in person, while other students in grades 6 to 12 would shift to online learning.

Busing would be suspended in Annapolis County, the West Hants area and the West Kings District High family of schools. Busing would continue in Kings County for students in the Central Kings Rural High, Horton High and Northeast Kings Education Centre school families.

Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education

A spokesperson for the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education said schools will close in the event of a strike.

Students in grades Primary to 4 would shift to at-home learning and students in grades 5 to 12 would shift to online learning.

Pre-primary programs and before- and after-school care programs would be paused.

Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education

Students in grades pre-primary to Grade 6 would attend school in person, while those in grades 7 to 12 would move to online learning.

A spokesperson for the regional centre said there is a possibility of in-person learning for students in grades 7 to 12 who receive significant learning support, including support from a learning support teacher, access to a learning centre, and educational assistant support.

The before- and after-school program would continue.

Bus transportation and the school lunch program would not be available.

Extracurricular activities and the community use of schools would be paused, though sports that do not require the use of indoor facilities may continue.

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial

Within the province’s Francophone school board, the union represents custodians, board-employed bus drivers, and mechanics.

If a strike took place, schools would remain open as long as possible, according to a spokesperson, but busing would be cancelled in Clare, Argyle, Pomquet and the South Shore area.

Any extracurricular activities or evening and weekend school use would be suspended.

Halifax Regional Centre for Education

A letter distributed to families on Oct. 15 by the Halifax Regional Centre for Education’s executive director, Steve Gallagher, said Halifax regional centre schools would pause their pre-primary programs in the event of a strike, but classes would continue for all other grades.

The centre says it is making plans to ensure that students who require the support of educational program assistants “will continue to be able to access educational services reasonably and safely” since those assistants are represented by the union.

Before- and after-school care that is part of the HRCE’s Excel program would continue, the letter says.

South Shore Regional Centre for Education

A letter from the South Shore Regional Centre for Education to parents said pre-primary to Grade 6 students would continue to attend school in person as long as operationally feasible. There would be no South Shore bus transportation to or from school during a potential strike.

Students in grades 7 to 12 would shift to online learning, with the exception of students receiving Tier 3 Learning Centre support, who would continue to attend in person.

Before- and after-school programs would continue as usual.

Strait Regional Centre for Education

All schools in the Strait Regional Centre for Education would close in the event of a strike.

Pre-primary and before- and after-school programs would be paused.

Students in grades Primary to 4 would shift to at-home learning, while those in grades 5 to 12 would shift to online learning.

Tri-County Regional Centre for Education
A letter to parents from the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education said pre-primary to Grade 6 students would continue to attend school in person in the event of a strike, but there would be no school bus transportation.

All other students in grades 7 to 12 would shift to online learning, with the exception of students requiring Learning Centre support.

Source: CBC Nova Scotia