Share
SYDNEY MINES, N.S.—A group of 23 women Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) at Munro Academy Early Learning Centre (MAELC) in Sydney Mines, N.S. are imploring their employer to agree to full-time hours to avoid a strike on Monday, September 8.
“This employer is trying to get by on precarious work that does not live up to the child care agreement between the federal and provincial governments," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "It's long past time that early learning and child care work was treated with the respect and compensation it deserves. These workers have the full support of our union.”
The unit at MAELC is newly certified and has been in negotiations toward their first collective agreement for more than a year, including three days of conciliation. Talks broke down after the employer refused to agree to 40-hour work weeks for ECEs. The employer is insisting on shorting the workers by several hours each week, leaving them earning less pay, and accruing less toward their vacation and pension than peers at nearby child care centres.
The Canada-Nova Scotia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement sets hourly wages for ECEs in the province based on full-time hours.
Though workers have been in a legal strike position for many days, the members of Unifor Local 4600 have yet to picket hoping the employer will reconsider their decision and avoid a disruption for parents and guardians.
“We have exhausted all other options at this point to try to avoid a strike, including a lengthy bargaining process, conciliation, and reaching out to provincial and municipal government officials,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray. “ECEs teach children about fairness and kindness every day and these women will stand on those same principles on the picket line, if need be, with the union’s full support.”
Unifor represents workers at three other child care centres in Cape Breton, all of which have consistent 40-hour weekly schedules for ECEs.
“I think there is a role here for the Houston government to step in and remind this centre that, under the new funding model, there shouldn’t be any need to continue with ‘scrappy’ scheduling that might have felt necessary as a not-for-profit employer prior to the federal and provincial investments,” said Murray. “We’re building a better child care system, so it’s time to get on board with a new normal and provide consistent fair pay for ECEs.”
The union has long advocated for improved wages and benefits for child care workers as a key step in achieving quality, accessible and affordable child care.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
