On June 14, 2023, CUPE Local 5047 President Chris Melanson made the following statement: After more than a month of job action, CUPE Local 5047 and the Halifax Regional Centre for Education have reached a tentative agreement. This agreement was made possible by the fierce determination of school support staff in HRM, whose strike action forced government and the HRCE back to the bargaining table. It is only because of CUPE members’ job action that there was any willingness from government to make improvements on the deal members rejected decisively in May. School support staff work in extremely challenging situations, which they meet daily with grace and kindness. These experiences prepared them well for this extremely challenging time. CUPE 5047 members know from our work with students that consistent positive changes can lead to transformation. This agreement offers one possible step towards the change we need to see in the … Read more…