Education minister warns teachers, union could face fines in an illegal walkout
HALIFAX — The Nova Scotia government’s latest standoff with the province’s 9,300 unionized public school teachers appears to have more to do with a squabble over union membership than addressing challenges in the classroom, the province’s education minister said Wednesday.
Zach Churchill was speaking a day after the Nova Scotia Teachers Union called an unexpected strike vote to protest the government’s decision to largely endorse a consultant’s report recommending sweeping education reforms.
The vote next Tuesday could lead to an illegal walkout or job action, as the teachers’ contract doesn’t expire until next year.
Churchill warned that an illegal strike could lead to fines for the union and individual teachers.