Dispute nears conclusion

And so, after a dance that seems to have dragged on far too long, the labour dispute between the Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union (NSTU) and the provincial government approaches its final days.

The Liberal government has, after three tentative deals were rebuffed by the union membership, tabled legislation that will impose a new four-year contract on the province’s 9,300 teachers and result in an end to their union’s legal strike position.

In response, the NSTU will hold a one-day provincewide strike on Friday – its first ever – to protest the legislation.

And soon after what one local union leader has labeled a ‘gong show’ in this paper’s letters section will reach some sort of uneasy conclusion. Not that we never saw this coming. Long before the NSTU initiated its work-to-rule campaign in early December, Premier Stephen McNeil sent clear shots across its bow by stating that teachers had one of the best pension plans around, enjoyed generous health benefits, accumulated 195 sick days over their career and received a one-time payment of a long service award upon retirement based on salary and the number of years worked.

“What are they going to bring to the taxpayers of Nova Scotia to offset the increases they want,” McNeil asked at the time.

The NSTU countered, in part, by expressing their growing frustration with increasingly difficult classroom teaching conditions and stressing the incredible amount of volunteer time that many teachers provide to students.

But clearly the NSTU executive and its membership weren’t on the same page as far as the negotiations were concerned. If they were the executive would never have OK’d three agreements only to have each of them shot down by the membership.

NSTU president Liette Doucet says now that “the teachers are fed up. They are tired of this government bullying them.”

Again we ask why did she agree to three tentative deals? Did the government bully her and other executive members?

The government’s bill contains a three per cent salary increase over four years, establishes a council to improve classroom conditions and a commitment of $20 million over two years to address that issue.

Really, another study? Just make some decisions please, starting with, say, minimum attendance standards in order for students to pass and the elimination of automatic grading.

There will also be a three-person commission on inclusive education that will be launched 30 days after the bill is passed, with recommendations to be implemented by the beginning of the next school year.

Caught in the middle, meanwhile, are students who have seen their extracurricular school activities disappear for the past two-and-a-half months, not to mention not receiving any extra help from their teachers.

After the contract is imposed will some or all of their activities return over time? Or will an unspoken work-to-rule equivalent become the new norm in our schools with unhappy teachers more reluctant to offer up their free time for sports, musicals, plays, clubs and much more?

In the end we believe both sides of this contract battle could have done a far better job articulating their stances. Maybe next time.