Fun Fact Friday: 61% of the CBRM thinks it’s time for real change in City Hall!

When asked, 61% of CBRM residents called for real change in city hall, highlighting the fact that most residents are sick of struggling while their elected officials do little to make things better. The housing vacancy rate is a startling 0.8%, among the lowest in Nova Scotia, meaning the municipality has a shortage of 1000 housing units as of Fall 2023. The lack of housing units has put a strain on the housing and rental markets, causing skyrocketing prices. In response, the CBRM has added transit lines so that residents can live further away from downtown, but all that does is put added pressure on the already strained transit system rather than addressing the root cause of the problem: lack of affordable housing. Accessing health care isn’t much easier, with the Cape Breton Regional Hospital having the longest average wait times in the province—a whopping 5.2 hours. This wait time … Read more…

Demand Safety in Our Public Schools

There were 27,000 violent incidents in public schools in Nova Scotia in the 2022-23 school year. This a 60% increase over the past six years. At the same rate, the number of violent incidents for the last school year can be estimated at over 30,000. School support staff tried to sound the alarm and share their data on this issue with the provincial government in 2022. They didn’t engage with us. Two years, and an estimated 50,000 violent incidents later, front line workers are stepping up to demand the government finally take action to end violence in schools. Join us in demanding the government keep students and staff safe in our public schools! Read more and sign our petition: cupe.ca/safe-schools

Save the Dates for All Committees!

Attention members of CUPE Nova Scotia’s Standing Committees: Our 2024 All Committees meetings will be taking place from October 3rd to 5th at the Inn on Prince in Truro! More details to follow soon. Mark your calendars!