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Show your support for educational workers in Nova Scotia by joining the rally on June 10!
Truro (10 June 2015) — The Chignecto-Central Regional School Board (CCRSB) in Nova Scotia is considering cuts to library staff and administrative assistants following budget decisions to be made at their Board meeting on June 10.
School board has already cut and more may be coming
The School Board has already handed out lay-off notices to nine library staff (to meet the notification timelines required in their contract) in case the decision is made to cut this important service. In addition, CCRSB has already decided to replace nine educational assistant positions with three teachers in a pilot project.
The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE) is holding a rally in advance of the meeting to advocate for their continued investment in support staff. Support staff are a critical link in a student’s education.
It will take place outside the Truro Elementary School at 125 Curtis Drive in Truro at 6 p.m.
Library staff and educational assistants are critical to student's success
Library staff are part of a modern education. They help students navigate the Internet and lead them in proper research practice and citation etiquette. With library staff by their side, the student learns to differentiate between valuable and irrelevant information so that they become information literate.
Educational assistants provide the personal care support and extra behavioural attention many students need to be able to attend school, learn, function, and grow.
Administrative assistants are vital to the function of a school and a school board. Whether it’s calculating payroll or keeping track of their school’s fund-raising efforts, they keep schools working.
NSGEU/NUPGE does not expect cuts to information technology (IT) positions at this time, as the government is working on a shared services initiative. It is worth noting that IT staff play a significant role supporting student learning and have been cut to bare bones levels.
The NSGEU/NUPGE represents approximately 550 support staff who work for the CCRSB.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE