Nova Scotia seeks to avoid teachers strike, will not negotiate wages
'We want to make every effort to avoid a disruption,' says Education Minister Karen Casey
The McNeil government's hopes for averting Nova Scotia's first ever strike by teachers rests entirely on talks between the province, the teachers union and school boards.
Those talks haven't been scheduled yet but all three parties have agreed to discuss what extra classroom resources the province might be able to fund to improve the working conditions of teachers.
"We're hearing from teachers all across the province," Education Minister Karen Casey said Wednesday morning. "We've asked them, 'What are your concerns now?' And then we will look at how we can respond to those.
"We want to make every effort to avoid a disruption. The students and the parents and the guardians in this province deserve better than having their program interrupted because of a strike."
Walkout could come soon
This last ditch effort to avoid a walkout by teachers, which could happen as soon as Dec. 3, comes the day after the province's 9,300 teachers voted 96 per cent in favour of job action, including a strike.
Casey, flanked by the province's chief labour negotiator, told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that the province will not negotiate wages or changes to the long service award teachers receive when they retire. If a teacher dies before the award is paid out, his or her estate receives the award.
"That is not negotiable," she said.
Asked if the government was getting ready to table a law that would outlaw a strike or force teachers back to work in the event of a walkout, Casey responded: "I'm not aware of any anti-strike legislation being prepared."