Talks continued between the provincial government and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union on Monday following a roller coaster weekend.
Education Minister Karen Casey announced the two sides had reached an impasse late Saturday, and the union president announcing a return to the table a little over 12 hours later. With neither side saying what led to the latest breakdown, talks are resuming in what is likely a tense room.
Social psychologist and consultant Todd Leader labour negotiations are adversarial by nature, with both sides viewing the other as the enemy.
“That doesn't help to get to a win-win situation, which is really a totally different approach,” Leader said. “Regardless of those negative feelings that probably are still there in the room, because they've taken a lot of shots at each other, they both realize they have to get this settled.”
Four separate rounds of bargaining have yielded two tentative deals, both rejected by union membership. The NSTU says government isn't promising to create real improvements in classrooms, but the province is holding firm on its wage pattern and freezing the long-service award.
The opposition has its own solution in mind.
“The situation has become so poisoned that they need an independent mediator to sort this out,” Baillie said on Sunday.
For now, parents and students are forced to confront the idea of work to rule continuing for some time.
Labour researcher Larry Haiven, who openly supports the teachers in the dispute, says it's a price students will have to pay for better education.
“There's never been a case where a student had their life chances, educational life chances ruined because of a strike,” Haiven said.
But students voiced their displeasure on Monday by protesting at Highland Park school.
“I just want this to end,” said student Allesha Stevenson. “The students are suffering the most and I just don't think it's fair to us.”
While the crowd may be vocal, the union and government are expected to remain quiet as negotiations continue.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.
