A popular elementary school teacher in North Preston was recently fired for unknown reasons, and last week a group of parents rallied at the school board offices in Burnside to express their displeasure. Now an impressive video by former student Kardeisha Provo adds the voices of several former students to those of the parents. The students have nothing but praise for her.
For days and weeks the Nova Scotia Teachers Union dominated the headlines. But after the government imposed a new contract all that disappeared. What actually happened? Why did it matter? What’s next? We met with Larry Haiven, an expert in Nova Scotia labour relations and co-founder of the Parents for Teachers Facebook group, to ponder these three questions. “This is not your grandfather’s labour movement anymore.”
Judy Haiven speaks at the Law Amendments Committee regarding Bill 75. “What does this Liberal government prioritise? Convention centres? Giveaways to the banks, giveaways to the Department of Business and Nova Scotia Business Inc, which dispenses millions in pay roll rebates and other breaks for business?”
Today’s remarks by Larry Haiven at the Law Amendments Committee regarding Bill 75 to remove the right to strike from teachers. “Teachers must have a way of indicating that the conditions under which they work do not overstress them or the quality of education delivery.”
Lana Payne, Atlantic Regional Director of Unifor, offers an exceptionally clear analysis of the teachers’ strike, what is driving Stephen McNeil, and what needs to be done to stop him. “We must be as relentless in our efforts as the Liberals have been in their attacks. And we must be extra vigilant in mobilizing, organizing and building solidarity. We simply have no choice.”
There’s lots you can do if you’re unhappy about premier McNeil’s plans to impose a contract on the teachers. Tony Tracy offers a few concrete suggestions.
From the very popular Nova Scotia Parents for Teachers Facebook page comes this FAQ about the what and why of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union work to rule action. From “Isn’t the government broke?” to “What about our Christmas Concert?”, it’s all here. We added a table of content for easy navigation.
An op-ed/open letter to Nova Scotians by Liette Doucet, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.
If you want to understand what teaching in Nova Scotia is all about, a good place to start is Teachers of Nova Scotia, a blog where teachers write about their job, their fears, their frustrations, and their love of teaching.