CUPE school counselors ratify deal, back to work in Halifax on Monday

The strike of the school counselors is over.

CUPE Local 5047 and the Halifax Regional Center for Education both announced on their respective websites Saturday evening that the preliminary agreement reached on Wednesday has been ratified.

“This agreement was made possible by the fierce determination of school support staff in HRM, whose strike action forced the government and the HRCE to return to the negotiating table,” CUPE Local Chairman Chris Melanson said in a statement on the union’s website.

“Only thanks to the actions of CUPE members was there any willingness from the government to make improvements to the deal that members staunchly rejected in May.”

The 1,860 striking CUPE Supporters are employed as Education Program Assistants (EPAs), Assistive Technology Support 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 Educators for Young People kids walked off work on Wednesday.

The CUPE members, who have been on strike since May 10, work at 136 elementary, middle and high schools in the Halifax area that are operated by HRCE and funded by the county.

Steve Gallagher, HRCE regional executive director, said school support staff will return to work on Monday.

“We know this has been a difficult experience for families and staff across our system,” Gallagher said. “Our school communities have not been the same since the job campaign began and we very much look forward to welcoming everyone back.”

Gallagher said HRCE recognizes that Monday will not be school as usual.

“In the coming days, our focus will be on finding students and staff who were absent.”

Gallagher said anyone with questions about their child’s transition to school should contact the school principal.

From Monday, all transport for children affected by the strike will resume at fixed times in the morning and afternoon.

Families can log in to the BusPlanner parent portal for bus information. Anyone who has any questions or questions that login can email [email protected] or call 902-431-4723.

“School support staff work in extremely challenging situations, which they meet with grace and kindness every day,” said Melanson. “These experiences have prepared them well for this extremely challenging time.

“CUPE 5047 members know from our work with students that consistent positive change can lead to transformation. This agreement offers a possible step towards the change we need to see in the education sector.”

Specific details of the agreement have yet to be made public.

The Department of Education had reached a tentative agreement earlier this spring with the negotiating teams for all eight CUPE negotiating units representing 5,400 public school supporters across the province.

The other seven units accepted the original deal.

CUPE Local 5047 members voted against the original tentative deal, saying they need higher wages than the 6.5 percent increase offered for the length of a three-year contract because the cost of living is higher in the Halifax area than the rest of the province.

Government officials, including Prime Minister Tim Houston and Secretary of Education, 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 do the same job, you should get paid the same.

The government said that Halifax locals wanted to undo the work on wage equality.

But Melanson countered that in the initial preliminary agreement, there was more for CUPE school support workers employed 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. “It (the original tentative deal) was accepted by other local residents because they could accept the deal. It’s not good enough for the members here. It is not about trying to break harmonisation. This is a regional problem.”

The strike was especially difficult for parents of students with special needs, many of whom were unable or unable to attend school during the work stoppage because they needed one-on-one support from striking teaching assistants.

“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 area,” Melanson said. “We would like to thank our communities for their support and persistence during this challenging round of negotiations. Our members are strengthened and encouraged by your kindness and express their sincere gratitude to our supporters.”