MEDIA RELEASE: SSRCE School Support Workers Reject Contract, Strike Imminent

NSGEU members at the South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SSRCE) have voted to reject the contract offer from their employer by 92%, placing them in an imminent strike position.

“Our members are the glue that holds schools together,” says Sandra Mullen, President of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union (NSGEU). “They have been supporting the system throughout the pandemic and care deeply about the work they do and the students they support. It is time that the government and the employer show them how much they care about the work they do and the services they provide and come to the table with necessary improvements.”

Currently, people who do the same jobs are paid differently depending on which Centre for Education they work for in the province. This has to change.

Members of Local 70 include: Early Childhood Educators; Outreach Workers, Student Support Workers, Office Administration Assistants; Clerks (including Receptionist/Clerks, Purchasing Clerks, Accounting Clerks, Payroll Clerks, and Transportation Clerks); IT Support Specialists.

The union served its 48-hour strike notice on October 21st. The strike will begin 08:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 25. The union is in preparations for a strike but is always available to return to the table for meaningful negotiations.

Parents of students who rely on the services of school support workers in the South Shore Regional Centre for Education should begin making preparations for alternate care in the event of a strike.

NSGEU Local 73 at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education (AVRCE) had earlier rejected the final offer from their employer and is set to begin their strike at 08:00 on Monday, October 24.

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 34,000 workers who provide quality public services Nova Scotians count on every day.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with NSGEU President Sandra Mullen, please contact:

Deedee Slye, NSGEU Communications Officer,

902-497-6761 (cell)   

dslye@nsgeu.ca