Halifax support workers strike impacting students and families
The father of disabled teen from Fall River, N.S. is calling on all sides to get back to the bargaining table and put an end to the Halifax area CUPE educational support worker strike.
“This has gone on too long and it is not fair for the kids,” Mohsen Nakad sid.
His 13-year-old son Abraham Nakad attends Georges P. Vanier Junior High School, but for the past four weeks, he hasn't been able to attend school with workers from CUPE local 5047 on strike.
Nakad supports the workers on strike and wants the government and all sides to get back to the negotiation table and come to an agreement soon.
“For me, I am supporting the EPAs, because I know how much our life is easier with them,” Nakad said.
His son Abraham is autistic and has cerebral palsy. He’s nonverbal and communicates through a tablet device. At school he is supported by educational program assistants, or EPAs.
Abraham would like to be back in school and he reminds his father of that at least a dozen times every day.
Abraham taps on his tablet device to send a message to his father.
“I...want...school...school,” Abraham said through the tablet. He hit the message button again, to emphasize: “I want to go to school.”
“It's unfair, it makes me very sad for my son and his friends,” Nakad said.
“Just because they have disabilities doesn't mean they should have to miss school.”
Abraham and his father joined school support workers on the picket line Wednesday outside Georges P. Vanier School.
The past three years have been challenging for Nakad, he’s a single father of two children and a small business owner.
While Abraham was at home during the pandemic, Nakad says he was forced to close his convenience store.
Now Nakad had been preparing to open a pet grooming salon, but with the ongoing strike he’s putting that on hold for now to care for his son at home.
“I have to postpone everything now because I cannot look after my business. I have to be with Abraham all the time.”
In Dartmouth, CUPE leaders joined a rally organized by the Nova Scotia NDP.
CUPE Nova Scotia president Nan McFadgen wants Premier Tim Houston’s PC government and Halifax Regional Centre for Education to get back to the negotiating table and work out a resolution.
“We’re disappointed that we’re still here,” McFadgen said.
Seven of the eight regional CUPE groups voted to accept the province's offer, but the Halifax area local voted against the offer. The group is looking for better wages, McFadgen said.
“And this local decided that it wasn’t enough and now they are going to walk the picket line for better wages and that needs to be OK to happen in Nova Scotia,” said McFadgen. “A local has a democratic right to either accept or decline an offer.”
The Nova Scotia’s Education Minister said in a statement Wednesday that the department remains hopeful that the job action will end and that impacted students will be able to return to school before the end of June.
“The first step is for the union to reach out to the employer, HRCE [Halifax Regional Centre for Education],” said Becky Druhan.
“HRCE has contacted the union regarding ways to support students who rely on the striking workers, but the union has refused to participate. HRCE is doing everything it can to support students and minimize impacts of the strike,” the minister said.
Both the union and government said there are no scheduled talks at this time.
Nakad urges the government to meet with the union and get a deal done to salvage the remaining school year.
“We need to see this government doing something for our kids,” said Nakad. “This isn’t fair for them.”
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.