The NSSBCU along with all members in the province extend our THANKS and want to recognize the many CUPE members who are emergency responders and provide countless hours of service trying to mitigate what are often dire circumstances, for their own and neighbouring communities. THANK YOU!
The NSSBCU meets monthly, and most recently we held our Annual Conference and Bargaining Conference for CUPE school support staff. Members from across Nova Scotia met in Halifax on November 15th & 16th and preparing for bargaining was the main topic of discussion.
2025 NSSBCU Annual Conference
New Council Members
Council is made up of the president of each of the eight CUPE locals representing school support staff across Nova Scotia. Congratulations and welcome to new presidents Richard Murray, Local 955 (Strait) and Floyd Seymour, Local 4682 (South Shore) on their elections and being the newest members of the NSSBCU. Also, we wish all the best to the outgoing presidents, with many thanks to them for their dedication.
Council Elections / Alternates
As part of the annual conference, elections are held as required for trustee(s), members of the bylaw committee, the communications officer, and the Council executive. Congratulations to everyone elected to a position or committee including chairperson Nelson Scott (Local 5050), vice-chairperson Andrew Weaver (Local 964), Treasurer Kevin Carther (Local 3876) and communications officer Robert MacKay (Local 3890), all returning, and newly elected recording secretary Shelley McNeil (Local 5047).
NSSBCU Educational Assistance Program
We are extremely excited to announce a new bursary that has been developed. With a very generous donation along with a supportive and encouraging address, Mr. Bob Keays of Higgins Insurance has provided $1,000 for annual bursary to be awarded by the NSSBCU.
Bob spoke to his respect he has for all CUPE members and the important work we do. He also mentioned a few key items that are important when buying a new or renewing a policy. It is also important to note, Bob is a long-time supporter of CUPE in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and is a familiar face at provincial convention, as well as some local union meetings. Please consider approaching Higgins Insurance for a quote in the future, be sure to mention you are a CUPE member. Bursary forms will be available later this winter.
Bargaining
We are in a new round of bargaining. Council does the work of developing and negotiating the “provincial” or “common” proposals. Each local does the work of developing and negotiating local proposals.This work is then proposed at the bargaining table to form the collective agreements for each CUPE education local.
Thank you to the members who took the time to complete the bargaining survey. With your input, the provincial or common table proposals are being developed. Locals along with their national reps have begun putting together the local bargaining packages as well.
If you were unable to complete the survey, now is the time to reach out to your local executive with ideas. The next steps are to finalize both the provincial and local proposals, and when the bargaining package is completed, notice to bargain will be served in January 2026.
Communications
A large part of bargaining is keeping all the CUPE education members in the province informed, along with encouraging engagement and participation. Thank you to all the local communications people who do a fantastic job of sharing all our information. Another tool to help you receive and find information about your union, or upcoming negotiations, is the new NSSBCU website, which will be going live soon.
Occupational Health & Safety
With recent changes to the Workplace Health & Safety Regulations here in the province, the importance of members taking part on site and regional JOHS committees is especially important.
- Employers must have a workplace harassment policy.
- Our psychological health and safety is also now part of Nova Scotia OHS law.
- A new Code of Conduct has been rolled out, training or plans for training should have started. You should have received instructions on how to conduct yourself in a situation involving a code of conduct incident, and what those expectations are.
- Unfortunately, some incidents are too serious to be only reported as a hazard. These more serious incidents must be reported to the employer through your JOHS committee. It is important to remember that not all incidents filed under the code of conduct are reportable OH&S hazards, but unfortunately many of them are.
- Although not new, as an important reminder, participation on a JOHS committee is paid time by the employer.
- Hazard reporting has become a near daily requirement, when this occurs it must be reported, and followed up with. You need to ensure these incidents are properly recorded so employers and the government must address the sheer volume of these incidents.
As always if you have any questions, concerns, or want to become involved in your local, please reach out to a member of your local executive.
In Solidarity,
Nelson Scott L5050, Richard Murray L955, Jenny Lynn Wardrope L3890, Shelley McNeil L5047, Kevin Carther L3876, Floyd Seymour L4682, Andrew Weaver L964, Robert Amero L2272, and Robert MacKay, NSSBCU Communications
Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions