Nova Scotia Buzz
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), representing almost 10,000 public school teachers and specialists, announced a strike vote set for Thursday, April 11, 2024, after nearly 10 months of negotiations with the Province.
According to the NSTU, the decision for a strike vote was made based on the advice of the their negotiating team, following an unsuccessful attempt to reach a fair contract with the government. In January, the NSTU had sought the intervention of a conciliator to aid in negotiations.
NSTU President Ryan Lutes commented on the situation, stating, “Obviously, we hope that job action won’t be necessary and that this serves as a wake-up call for the government, who has been unwilling to reach a fair contract for teachers nor making necessary changes to improve learning conditions for students across the province.”
Lutes further elaborated on the issues at hand, saying, “It’s unfortunate that Government isn’t taking the current challenges facing our public education system seriously. It is not taking escalating levels of violence seriously. It is not taking the teacher shortage seriously. It is not taking rapidly declining classroom conditions seriously. And, on top of everything, it is not taking the need for a fair contract for teachers seriously.” He added that “A strong strike mandate sends a message to Premier Houston that it’s time to act on the many crises currently boiling over in our public schools.”
