CUPE Education Workers to Rally Province-Wide for a Fair Contract

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--School support staff represented by CUPE’s Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions (NSSBCU) will hold information pickets and rallies around the province on Saturday, April 15^th. Education workers will be in a legal strike position at 12:01 AM on April 21^st.

The 5400 plus education workers voted 97.5% in favour of strike action if an agreement that secures significant wage increases for members cannot be reached. CUPE education workers are among the lowest paid workers in the public sector, with the majority making less than $30,000 a year. NSSBCU filed for conciliation in January in the hopes that a third party would help refocus government on finalizing a fair deal that helps members escape poverty, but conciliation talks failed, and the parties received reports from conciliation officers on April 6^th.

NSSBCU represents more than 5400 school support staff at all seven regional centres for education and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial. Members include bus drivers, early childhood educators in the pre-primary program, educational program assistants, custodians, food services staff, and tradespeople.

Presidents of the 8 locals involved will be available for comment on Saturday. Locations for the rallies and contact details for local representatives are listed below.

	Contact person and phone number	Location	Time
Yarmouth	Andrew Weaver 902-837-6109	Strike Headquarters, 242 Water Street Collins Street Parking Lot	1 PM
Barrington	Lisa deMolitor 902-875-7509	Wilson’s Home Hardware Building Centre 3542 NS Trunk 3, Barrington Passage	11 AM
Bridgewater	Dwayne Sarty 902-521-1781	Lahave Street and Old Bridge Street Intersection	11 AM
Dartmouth	Chris Melanson 902-818-7767	March from Ferry Terminal Park to Zatzman Sportsplex	1 PM
New Minas	Cindy Courtney 902-532-8384	New Minas Walmart Parking Lot 9097 Commercial Street	11 AM
New Glasgow	Robert McKay 902-921-4692	March beginning at New Glasgow CUPE Office	2 PM
Amherst	Clint Eagles 902-305-6161	March beginning at Old Amherst Town Hall 5 Ratchford Street	2 PM
Port Hawkesbury	Nelson Scott 902-574-1380   Gerrard Matthews 902-870-2422	Causeway Rotary, Port Hawkesbury, speakers to follow at Unifor Hall, 323 Reeves Street, Port Hawkesbury	1 PM
Truro	Sherylynn Woodworth 902-956-1175	Rally starting at Inn on the Prince	2 PM

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