Rally to prevent cuts to support staff at the CCRSB

Rally to prevent cuts to support staff at the CCRSB.

Place: Sidewalk outside Truro Elementary School, 125 Curtis Dr.

Date: Wednesday, June 10

Time: 6 p.m.

The Chignecto-Central Regional School Board is considering cuts to library staff and Administrative Assistants following budget decisions to be made at their Board meeting on June 10. The Board has already handed out lay-off notices to nine library staff (to meet the notification timelines required in their contract) in case the decision is made to cut this important service. In addition, CCRSB has already decided to replace nine Educational Assistant positions with three teachers in a pilot project.

The NSGEU is holding a rally in advance of the meeting to advocate for their continued investment in support staff. Support staff are a critical link in a student’s education.

Library staff are part of a modern education. They help students navigate the internet and lead them in proper research practice and citation etiquette. With library staff by their side, the student learns to differentiate between valuable and irrelevant information so that they become information literate.

Educational Assistants provide the personal care support and extra behavioural attention many students need to be able to attend school, learn, function, and grow.

Administrative Assistants are vital to the function of a school and a school board. Whether it’s calculating payroll or keeping track of their school’s fund-raising efforts, they keep schools working.

We don’t expect cuts to IT positions at this time as the government is working on a shared services initiative. It is worth noting that IT staff play a significant role supporting student learning and have been cut to bare bones levels.

NSGEU President Joan Jessome will be in attendance and available for interviews.

The NSGEU represents approximately 550 support staff who work for the CCRSB.

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day.

To arrange an interview with NSGEU President Joan Jessome, please contact:

Deedee Slye, NSGEU Communications Officer

902.424.4063 (office); 902.497.6761 (cell) dslye@nsgeu.ca