This is a quick and easy online letter for anyone and everyone to fill out in support of our CUPE support staff. Please fill this out, if you haven’t already, and share with at least 3 your friends and family. This will reach all local MLAs and send a message to government.

https://cupe.ca/cupe-school-support-staff-need-your-help-save-our-school-support-services

CUPE 955 members please check your personal email for important information.
If you have not given me your email, please email cupe955secretary@gmail.com

We are looking for volunteers to be Picket Captains in the event that we end up going on strike at some point. We need 2 people per worksite. Training will be provided once we have our group.
Please email me at cupe955secretary@gmail.com with your name, and school/worksite

After ten days of bargaining with the Government of Nova Scotia over eleven months, we have not been able to reach an agreement that secures significant wage increases for our members.

We’ve filed for conciliation in the hope that a third party can help refocus the government and education bosses on getting a fair collective agreement done. Rick Rose, who has worked with CUPE members before, has been appointed as our conciliator. We will notify you when dates for conciliation are finalized.

In the meantime, we need to increase pressure on the government by telling our stories to the community. That’s why we are holding an Education Worker Day of Action on February 28^th. Education workers across the province will wear pink armbands to show government and the public that we will not accept the disrespect we’ve been shown any longer. This province-wide coordinated action will help us get media attention, where we can make sure our message reaches an even wider audience.

Make sure you’re following Local 955 and the NSSBCU on social media so you can share our stories with your community.

Local 955 Facebook:  https://tinyurl.com/CUPE-Local-955

Local 955 Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/CUPE-955

Local 955 Twitter: https://twitter.com/CUPE955

Local 955 Website: https://955.cupe.ca/

In Solidarity,

Gerrard Matthews
President
Local 955

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

***Date Change***

AEC Changed to Thursday, January 19, 2023

CUPE Local 955

We are requesting that you take a few minutes to attend one of the information sessions, in the county where you work, and vote between 3:00pm and 6:00 pm at one of the following locations and dates:

East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy      Mon., Jan. 9, 2023

Antigonish Education Centre                               Tues., Jan. 10, 2023

St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy                Wed., Jan.11, 2023

Chedabucto Ed. Ctr./Guysborough Academy    Thur., Jan. 12, 2023

Richmond Education Centre/Academy               Mon., Jan. 16, 2023

SAERC                                                                     Tues., Jan. 17, 2023

Inverness Education Centre/Academy                Wed., Jan. 18, 2023

This is part of negotiating the Collective agreement which expired on March 31, 2021 and is being done in conjunction with the other CUPE School Board Locals as part of the NS School Board Council Coordinating Committee.

The information session will provide further information on where we are with bargaining, what to expect, and the next steps in this process.

It is very important that you cast your vote and help provide support and direction to your bargaining Committee.

In Solidarity,

CUPE 955 Bargaining Committee

CUPE Richmond Unit Meeting

Saturday, May 14, 2022 10am     Location TBA

Elections for: Unit VP and Secretary/Treasurer

CUPE Richmond meeting notice