School specialists are once again part of the NSTU

After two years of fighting with the province, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union is once again able accept school psychologists, speech language pathologists and other specialists as its members, according to a news release Thursday from the union.  

Those specialists union rights were restored after the union and the province reached a settlement agreement. Under the agreement all specialists working in public schools will be NSTU members retroactive to the date they were hired. 

"We were able to reach a deal that satisfied the concerns of government and the union through a good faith process and that — arguably — is probably the biggest win of today," Paul Wozney, president of the NSTU, told CBC Radio's Mainstreet on Thursday.

The settlement puts to bed a long simmering dispute between the teachers union and the province.

In 2018, the province decided to no longer require specialists who are new hires to get a special teacher's certificate. Education Minister Zach Churchill has said the decision was made so new hires would be available to provide services to students and their families through the summer.

Union officials have countered that their members could offer services and work during summer months outside the school year, and that the unilateral change by the government amounted to an attack on their rights under the collective agreement.

More specialists could be drawn to N.S.

According to Wozney, the agreement says the union protection will make a huge difference for these employees.

"This actually increases the flexibility of specialists within the bargaining unit. I would argue this makes Nova Scotia the most attractive jurisdiction in Atlantic Canada to be a school-based specialist," he said.

"You're not just punched into a 10-month dynamic or a 12-month dynamic. You now can use your seniority to move between those two kinds of work within the bargaining unit while having full status as a union member with all the benefits that come with that."

Wozney said the agreement also removes a feeling of uncertainty that would normally drive these specialists out of the province.

"We offer something to specialists they simply can't get anywhere else and that's going to draw more people here to do this transformative work," he said.

Last November, an arbitrator agreed with the union, and ordered the new hires be added to the union, for them to be issued special teacher's certificates and for the government to cover the cost of retroactive union dues.

But rather than comply with the order, the government filed for a judicial review. That prompted the union to go to court to try to get a judge to enforce the arbitrator's ruling in the interim.

With the settlement in place the province has dropped the judicial review.

Support for families

Labour Relations Minister Mark Furey said in a statement the agreement means families will get support year-round.

He said student psychologists, speech language pathologists and social workers "provide vital services and supports to hundreds of our students and their families across the province."

"I am very pleased that the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and the province were able to come to an agreement that is in the best interest of students and their families," Furey said.

"I want to thank the NSTU for their collaboration. I am pleased we could come to a mutual agreement that puts kids and their needs first."

The majority of specialists jobs will remain 10-month positions that match up with the school year, but 30 per cent of the specialists will now have 12-month positions and will be able to provide service during the summer months.

The Office of Teacher Certification will once again begin providing specialist certificates to those who qualify.  

The settlement also states that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development agrees the remedies awarded by the arbitrator still apply and it must work to resolve any problems and accommodate the affected specialists, said the union's news release.