Nova Scotia teachers have voted to reject their third tentative agreement with the provincial government.

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union said 78.5 per cent of its members voted against the tentative agreement. More than 100 per cent of the union’s 9,300 members voted on the deal, with the additional numbers including substitute and active reserve teachers.

Union president Liette Doucet said she wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

“I think the teachers had voiced their opinions and we expected that it would likely be a reject,” Doucet said on Thursday.

Education Minister Karen Casey said the result is disappointing.

"The outcome of today's union vote is disappointing for students, parents, and government,” Casey said in a statement. “This was the third tentative agreement reached with the union leadership and it was reached after an intense and productive period of bargaining.”

On Thursday, Doucet said the union executive recommended members accept the deal because it showed improvements from the last tentative agreement.

“We felt that it was important that teachers recognize that there were improvements, that there were some mechanisms for dealing with classroom issues and we felt that it was important to let them have a vote,” she said.

But Doucet also said government is unwilling to make necessary changes.

“We’re dealing with a government that is not wanting to make the improvements … that teachers are asking for,” she said. “We’ve been asking for these improvements for some time and currently the government is not willing to make those commitments.”

Doucet said the freezing of the long service award is a deal-breaker for “many” teachers.

“I think that if teachers had trust in the government that they would go ahead and create better classroom conditions for them and their students, I think that they would accept a deal.”

This is the third tentative agreement recommended by the union executive, and subsequently rejected by members. Doucet says she has no plans to resign as president.

The union began a work-to-rule campaign on Dec. 5 that had a sweeping effect on school life across Nova Scotia, cancelling shows, trips, and sports.

Work-to-rule is still in effect for now and the union executive will meet to decide what's next.

Casey said government must now take time to consider its next step.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.