HALIFAX — The union that represents school support workers across Nova Scotia says it will file a strike notice committing its members to walking off the job on Monday morning.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says in a statement that overnight contract bargaining with the provincial government failed to produce the wage increase the union is seeking.
The union says if the government fails this weekend to agree to a $3.50 hourly wage increase for all union members by 2029, the strike will go ahead as planned.
The union represents educational program assistants, teaching assistants, early childhood educators, librarians, bus drivers, janitors and cafeteria workers.
The union says the government’s latest offer is a 9.86 per cent wage increase over five years, which amounts to $2.22 over five years for those who would receive the smallest raise. CUPE says that’s more than $1 short of what the union is asking for in a four-year contract.
CUPE says the government also gave the union the option of a two-year deal, but the union says the wage increase offered over two years still falls short of what it says its members deserve.
“We came back to the bargaining table anticipating that the government would make meaningful changes to their final offer,” said Nelson Scott, president of CUPE Local 5050. “Ultimately, what they brought us does not get most members to $3.50 by 2030, let alone by 2029.”
The latest offer came after eight hours of bargaining ended Friday morning at 3 a.m.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2026.
The Canadian Press









