Opposition wants province to bargain with teachers as strike countdown begins

HALIFAX – The leader of Nova Scotia’s opposition Progressive Conservatives wants the Liberal government to show “leadership” and head back to the bargaining table in its contract dispute with the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.

After teachers voted to give the union executive a strike mandate Tuesday, Jamie Baillie said Wednesday both sides needed to “calm down” during a mandated ‘cooling off-period’ to avoid a possible disruption for parents and students.

“The good news is today, there is still time,” Baillie said, noting any job action could not happen until at least Dec. 3.

The two sides appear to be stuck on classroom reforms, with the union indicating it wants to see investments in areas of student development while the province wants to discuss working conditions at a separate table, not under contract.

Education Minister Karen Casey maintained Wednesday the province would not be returning to the negotiating table after two tentative deals were rejected by union members, the latest Oct. 4, but said she would do anything possible to avoid a disruption to the school year.

“Our priority as a government and my priority as Minister is to make sure that students are not negatively impacted by a decision that their teachers and members of the teachers union make,” she said.

“We will do whatever we can to make sure that happens,” Casey added, but stopped short of committing to returning to the table or any other options at the government’s disposable like mediation, arbitration and the appointment of a conciliation board.

She also said she was unaware of any anti-strike legislation being prepared.

The government has previously said no third-party, like an arbitrator, would dictate the province’s fiscal plan, and Casey said the goal is keep the wage pattern in line for all public sector workers at a three per cent increase over four years.

Casey said the government has been listening to teachers since 2014 and a working group to address some of the classroom conditions should be given time to complete its work, as she believes many of the issues talked about by the union do not need to part of a formal contract.

“I’ve heard teachers say they want to talk about classroom reforms in a serious way and I think the government should step up and go down that road,” Baillie said.

“It’s just a complete lack of leadership when parents need to see leadership from their Premier and to be honest, the Minister of Education, it’s not good enough to say to we’ll wait for the union.”

NDP leader Gary Burrill joined Baillie in asking the province return to the table, while both also called for the repeal of Bill 148, legislation to impose a wage package on the public sector should no deal be reached.

The contentious bill drew the ire of the union whose president Liette Doucet said on Tuesday tied the hand of the union during negotiations, which she called far from “free and fair collective bargaining.”

“What’s required is for teachers to have the right to negotiate,” Burrill said. “Bill 148 says they don’t have the right to negotiate that.”

“We think this is an abrogation of teachers’ rights…and Bill 148 should be rescinded.”

Casey wouldn’t comment on the potential use of Bill 148, only to say that it had not been proclaimed.

The last time members voted to give the union a strike mandate was in 2002 and that dispute ended when both sides decided to go to binding arbitration.

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