Agreement made in Halifax school support workers strike, staff to return Monday

After over a month of job action, the union representing Halifax-area school support workers have voted to accept the tentative agreement and end an ongoing strike.

After months of pleading for a better deal, the union representing striking Halifax-area school support workers has voted to accept a recent tentative agreement, which will immediately end an ongoing strike that’s brought thousands out to picket lines over the past month.

In a release from the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) on Saturday evening, it was confirmed that members of CUPE Local 5047, the organization representing the striking workers, accepted the terms of the agreement and will be returning to schools on Monday.

“We recognize that it may not be school as usual. Our focus in the coming days will be on reconnecting with students and staff who have been absent,” the release said.

More than 1,800 workers will return to the classroom including early childhood educators, educational program assistants (EPAs), librarians, and African Nova Scotian student support workers.

The release noted that all bus routes that were previously affected by the strike will resume their regular schedules as of Monday morning and afternoon.

On Wednesday, in a statement announcing the tentative agreement, union president Chris Melanson noted that progress was “made possible by the fierce determination of school support staff in the HRM.”

“It is only because of CUPE members’ job action that there was any willingness from government to make improvements on the deal members rejected decisively in May,” he said.