Halifax CUPE school support workers back to work, fair deal or not

The 1,860 CUPE school support workers were back in schools in Halifax on Monday, exactly where many insisted they always wanted to be during the strike over the past five weeks.

But many of the employees, who work as curriculum assistants, assistive technology workers, child and youth care practitioners, Mi’kmaq and Indigenous student support staff, African Nova Scotia support staff, Schools Plus community workers, library specialists, and early childhood educators are probably not very pleased. with the conditions for their return to work.

“We’re really glad they saw enough of it to support it,” said Nan McFadgen, president of CUPE Atlantic.

“We would like the Prime Minister to understand that we will be negotiating again in eight months and this should continue,” she said. “They sacrificed five weeks of their wages to live on strike money and I think that sacrifice will be visible to the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, other members of CUPE and everyone who sits at the negotiating table in public sector negotiations.

“There comes a time when we have to stand up all the way. It is clear that a local citizen cannot resist this government on his own.”

Low wages

McFadgen said school support workers and others have endured eight years of low wages “and this Prime Minister is continuing that”.

“This local saw that and their sacrifice” has revealed it to others, she said.

The county government’s education department had reached a tentative agreement earlier this spring with the negotiating teams for all eight CUPE negotiating units representing 5,400 public school supporters in the province.

The other seven units accepted the original tentative deal, but Local 5047 members working in the Halifax area voted against, saying they are demanding higher wages than the 6.5 percent increase being offered over the term of a contract of three years due to the higher cost of living in Halifax.

Government officials, including Prime Minister Tim Houston and Education Secretary Becky Druhan, had said during the work stoppage that CUPE’s leaders initially came to the table seeking pay equality, meaning it doesn’t matter where you live in the county, if you’re doing the same job. does, you should be paid the same.

Chris Melanson, president of Local 5047, had countered that the initial preliminary agreement had more for CUPE school support workers working in bargaining units outside the Halifax area because of differences in property taxes, rent, mortgages and various services.

“They (government) know they have to do better here,” he said during the last week of the five-week work stoppage that began May 10. “It (the original tentative deal) was accepted by other local residents because they could take the deal. It’s not good enough for the members here. It’s not about trying to break harmonisation. This is a regional problem.”

No movement on pay rise

Knowing as much as the government, it did not take up the offer of a 6.5 percent wage increase over a three-year deal signed Saturday, 28 months after the last collective agreement expired.

“I think what has helped them to support this agreement is that they have learned a hard lesson about the value the Prime Minister places on their work and on the children the Members serve, which is none,” said McFadgen .

“He was willing to leave them there and we really thought the prime minister would value that work, but he didn’t.”

The agreed deal included a full retroactive pay for the raise calculated for work done without a contract for the past two years, a full retroactive pay that was not offered in the tentative deal that was previously rejected.

The contract provided holiday pay, improved health and safety language, and added casual workers to the bargaining unit.

McFadgen said the union will not share the ratification vote numbers.

“I would say there was a good mix of some people who felt enough was enough, others who felt the Prime Minister was willing to let them go on strike and just didn’t care about the work,” she said. “That mix was enough.”

A difficult experience for families

Steve Gallagher, HRCE regional executive director, said in a statement Sunday that the work stoppage was a difficult experience for families and staff across the school system, which includes 136 elementary, middle and high schools.

“Our school communities have not been the same since the job campaign began, and we very much look forward to welcoming everyone back,” he said.

Melanson said in a weekend statement that school support staff work in extremely challenging situations, which they meet daily with grace and kindness.

“These experiences have prepared them well for this extremely challenging time,” he said. “We know that the past five weeks have been extremely difficult, not only for school support staff, but also for parents and students in the Halifax region. We would like to thank our communities for their support and persistence during this challenging round of negotiations.”

The school term ends in June. 30.