School support workers hold rally in Dartmouth as strike deadline looms – Halifax | 24CA News

School assist staff held a rally on the Ferry Terminal Park in Dartmouth on Saturday afternoon to attract consideration to their union’s ongoing negotiations with the province for elevated wages.

Workers represented by CUPE’s Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions had been out by the handfuls as they held indicators that learn messages comparable to “Schools work because we do” and shirts that mentioned “I stand with CUPE” to showcase solidarity for the trigger.

Bryan Landry, an academic program assistant, mentioned the union members need each the federal government and the general public to turn into extra conscious of the problem.

“This is something to put ourselves out there and show the government that we’re serious about what we want, not just with us here in Halifax, but with the entire province,” he mentioned.

Dartmouth wasn’t the one location in Nova Scotia the place staff and neighborhood members alike gathered to point out assist. Similar rallies came about in 9 different communities all through the province Saturday together with Truro, Yarmouth, and Port Hawkesbury.

“We’re all tired,” Landry mentioned.

“We’ve been pitted against each other for so long because so many places are paid differently. The government wants to keep everyone separated — they have this centre and that centre —  but we’re all support workers. We all work for our students, and that’s what we’re here to recognize.”

The union represents greater than 5,400 employees members consisting of bus drivers, educating assistants, cleaners, ECE and EPA employees, tradespeople, and meals service staff. In a Friday launch, CUPE mentioned staff have voted 97.5 per cent in favour of strike motion “if an agreement that secures significant wage increases for members can’t be reached.”

“CUPE education workers are among the lowest paid workers in the public sector, with the majority making less than $30,000 a year,” the discharge mentioned.

Melissa Brown, an early childhood educator, says there are about 40 completely different classifications of college assist employees all through the province who aren’t paid pretty.

“There are a lot of people who are working two to three extra jobs on top of the work that they do working with the children in public schools,” she mentioned.

N.S. Education Minister Becky Druhan mentioned on Wednesday that she is assured that there nonetheless is a path to a negotiated settlement between union members and the provincial authorities.

“We know historically they’ve had different pay across regions. There hasn’t been equity, but we’re really looking for and we’re committed to a path to equity,” she mentioned.

Chris Melanson, president of the realm’s CUPE division and chairperson for the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions, mentioned the aim of Saturday afternoon’s “info picket” was to speak with the general public and “call a few people’s bluffs.”

“There are a few government officials and a few employers around the province that actually don’t think CUPE members are willing to ‘walk the line,’” he mentioned.

Melanson famous the variety of members from different sectors who got here out to rally and assist.

“We’ve got some teachers here today that are standing beside us and supporting us because they recognize as well that our members need that raise to come up out of poverty,” Melanson mentioned. “We have so many of our members that are single parents, single mothers, that are struggling to make ends meet.”

“They are working two and three different jobs and sometimes making those horrible choices like, ‘Do we pay a utility this month? Do we pay for groceries? Do we pay for medication?’ It’s a struggle for all,” he mentioned.

Melanson mentioned seeing folks come collectively like that is motivating and exhibits that staff are unified and supported.

According to the discharge from CUPE, talks failed after the NSSBCU filed for conciliation “in hopes that a third party would help refocus government on finalizing a fair deal that helps members escape poverty.”

If a deal isn’t reached, schooling staff might be in a authorized strike place on April 21.

Landry hopes Saturday’s rally will ship a message to the federal government to return to the negotiating desk.

“Right now, it feels like we’re being told, ‘Go get a better job if you feel that you’re not being paid enough.’ And that’s what we want. We want to be paid enough to do what we love to do, and we love working with our kids,” he mentioned.

“That’s what we do this for, to help as much as we can. We want to be able to be allowed to do it and make enough money to live a life.”

— with information from Vanessa Wright and Megan King

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