Nova Scotia school support staff rally ahead of looming strike
A Saturday rally in Dartmouth was organized by CUPE to show that if the province doesn’t meet their demands, school support staff in Nova Scotia will go on strike.
About 100 people wearing pink shirts and carrying signs gathered in Dartmouth to call on the government to see and hear them.
“I make the same wage today as I made pretty much 10 to 15 years ago,” said Tammy Jakeman, an education program assistant in the Halifax area.
Jakeman said she loves teaching and love the kids she works with, but making a little over $30,000 in annual salaries is not cutting it anymore.
“I’m working with neuro-diverse teenagers and working with the entire school population. I truly believe that as I become specialized, I really deserve more than the wage that I get right now.”
The group marched around downtown and other parts of the province including Port Hawkesbury, Bridgewater, New Minas, New Glasgow, Amherst, Truro and Yarmouth.
For parents, the possibility of a strike is extremely concerning. George Tasiopolous worries his son Eli’s learning will be negatively impacted.
“It was just stressing about what that looks like and I know we’ve been in communication with a number of families who are in a similar situation.”
Tasiopolous said when schools transitioned to online learning during COVID-19, he and his wife noticed Eli regress. He said Eli relied on a routine which only the staff working with him are aware of. Without them, Eli won’t be able to attend school.
“He can tell us and he could tell his team at school what his concerns are, I guess you could say that to anybody, but they can read him without him having to communicate,” explained Tasiopolous.
In an email to families, HRCE has said that if school support staff does go on strike on Friday, many of their services will continue to run, including school transportation and in-person learning.
At this point, the two sides have not yet met again at the negotiating table but members are open and calling on the province to meet with them.
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