In CUPE 955, approximately 95% of votes cast were in support of going on strike if necessary. 

NSSBCU Conciliation Update January 25 2023

January 25, 2023

Bargaining Update from the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions

Your provincial bargaining team is disappointed to report that after ten days of bargaining, we were unable to reach a fair deal with the Employer.

In previous meetings, we were able to agree on several items, including increased health and safety, and protection for reclassified employees. However, the Employer is unwilling to offer a fair deal concerning compensation.

Wages have been the major issue in this round of bargaining, and we are unwilling to settle for less than what our membership deserves: a living wage. Currently, members of our union are struggling, some sleeping in tents or skipping meals to feed their families, and that cannot continue.

Because we were unable to reach a deal, your bargaining team will file for conciliation. This means a third party, known as a Conciliator, will meet with both bargaining teams to discuss the outstanding issues. If they believe an impasse has been reached, the Conciliator will declare an impasse, and our unions will be within our legal rights to go on strike. As of today, all CUPE locals are entering the conciliation stage. More information on conciliation and how it works is available here.

Thanks to the strong mandates to strike following votes held locally over the last few weeks, we are now looking for members to be more actively involved. We will need members to volunteer for strike committees, which will be organized through each local, who will be responsible for organizing and carrying out the strike. We will also need people with more experience who are willing to provide education to those committees. More information regarding these opportunities will be communicated by your local executive shortly.

Though we are hopeful conciliation will bring us to a fair deal that benefits everyone, we need to be prepared. We will need our members to be engaged, supportive, and show solidarity with their local and provincial bargaining committees during this critical time. Success is only possible when the membership stands together and shows the Employer they will not settle for less.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact your local president for more information.

Gerrard Matthews

Strait Regional Centre for Education, CUPE 955