The NSGEU stands with the Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union (NSTU) in calling for improved safety in schools, plus a delayed opening, in order to ensure a safe school experience for workers and students in Nova Scotia.
“Workers have a right to work in a safe environment according to the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Act,” says Sandra Mullen, NSGEU 1st Vice President. “The government has not done enough to ensure a safe workplace.”
Teachers have been tweeting images of their classes with desks arranged for 26 and 27 students in classes. It is clear there is no way to maintain public health safety standards with numbers like this. The latest statement by Dr. Strang may look good on paper but leaves us with more questions than answers.
“It is very concerning that the province will not return to the legislature because of questions regarding safety from COVID spread,” says Mullen. “They are willing to send students back to school without the teachers saying they are ready. Why do they continue to ignore frontline workers?”
For all of our NSGEU members who have so many questions about what will happen if their children have to be tested for COVID-19 and they have to stay home from work, the NSGEU is seeking answers on your behalf. If you have questions or concerns please call or email the NSGEU.
The NSGEU represents workers who keep the Regional Centres for Education running, such as: School Secretaries, Educational Assistants, School Support Workers, Library staff, IT technicians, Early Childhood Educators, Payroll clerks, Bus Drivers and Bus Monitors, and more. The NSGEU has members in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE), South Shore Regional Centre for Education (SSRCE), Tri-County Regional Centre for Education (TCRCE), Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education (CCRCE) and the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education (AVRCE) and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) as well as staff at the Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (APSEA).
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.
