Nova Scotia public schools plan for possible strike of CUPE support workers, bus drivers

Nova Scotia public schools are preparing for a possible CUPE strike this week, forcing hundreds of students back to online learning

Thousands of unionized workers — including bus drivers, cleaners, maintenance staff, educational program assistants and early childhood educators, along with other roles — could soon walk off the job after wage negotiations reached an impasse last week.

"It was our biggest fear for a while," said Emma Wilkie, a Portapique, N.S., parent with a teen in Grade 11.

"... Our 17-year-old is not thrilled about going back to online learning having just gotten out of it." 

Wilkie said it's too bad the strike could be coming so close to the end of the school year.

"Our other option previously was to drive Jade ourselves, now it's going to go to online learning. We've got emails from the teachers saying anyone in Grade 7 to 12 would be switching to online in less than a week from now, so that's a surprise for teachers; it's definitely a surprise for us," she said. 

The earliest a strike could begin is Friday, April 21, but the union is required to give at least 48 hours of notice.

Wilkie said the bus service is essential for students in rural areas. 

"Driving a bus full of teenagers and kids is not an easy job, and if they're only getting paid for hours in the morning and hours in the afternoon, of course it's going to be hard to find workers. So maybe the pay should be more, maybe the benefits should be more," Wilkie said.

Autism Nova Scotia expressed concerns about a possible strike in a news release on Monday. The organization says the needs of students will be forgotten, including students with autism being left without support in the school system.

"We are deeply concerned for autistic students and students with disabilities who require specific supports, who will be left without options if a strike takes place," said Cynthia Carroll, executive director of Autism Nova Scotia, in a news release.

"All students deserve equal access to education, it's a human right. Without a proper contingency plan in place, autistic and students with disabilities will once again be left behind."

While many regional centres for education are hopeful a strike could be prevented, they are making plans in case a strike happens.

Plans vary because the strike will have different impacts in different areas.