Thousands of parents will have to find other ways to get their kids to school after more than 400 bus drivers and support staff with Nova Scotia’s Chignecto-Central Regional School Board walked off the job Monday morning.
The members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees say the membership, which also includes custodians and tradespeople, voted Sunday to strike after rejecting the board's latest offer.
“I feel bad for the parents, I really do,” says Ron Davis, president of CUPE Local 3890.
“It’s not our position to try and hurt any kid, any parents, but at the same time, we’ve got to protect our job and make sure our members are working.”
The union says contracting out work is the main issue in contract talks.
School board spokeswoman Debbie Buott-Matheson says about 17,000 of the board's 20,000 students usually travel by bus.
She says parents are being asked to find alternate ways, such as carpooling, in order to get students to school.
“The numbers we have actually gotten today have shown us that attendance hasn’t dropped that much, and in terms of high school exams, attendance is fantastic to be honest, so that’s a huge relief to us on day one,” says Buott-Matheson.
The turnout was also good on the picket line Monday morning. While the striking workers vowed to stand their ground, the protest was eventually called off due to heavy rain.
The union says the picket line will come down for good if the board can abide by the remaining contract.
As the union awaits word, school board staff are preparing for a long night ahead.
“We’ve got cleaning teams assigned. Many of us, including myself, will leave the office from here, change into some more appropriate gear, and going to clean schools tonight,” says Buott-Matheson.
Parents are being told to continue to arrange rides to school until further notice.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Marie Adsett and The Canadian Press
