Minister Promises Raises As N.S. Daycare Workers Prepare For Thursday Walkout
HALIFAX — Daycare workers are getting ready to stage a walkout on Thursday over wages and staffing challenges.
Early Childhood Educators will head to the streets for a Day of Action, starting at Grand Parade in Halifax at 9 a.m. They want an update on their wage scale and benefits package currently in development by the province.
Education Minister Becky Druhan tells our newsroom the province is aware of their concerns.
“This is an urgent priority for us,” Druhan says. “It is not necessary for them to take this day of action. We committed to higher wages for our ECEs this fall and we will be delivering on that.”
Workers want to know when they’ll see their new paychecks and what the wage increase will be.
Druhan says they’ll be rolling out higher wages as soon as possible, but could not yet give a specific date.
“We’ll be in a position to make an announcement and to roll out wages as soon as possible,” Druhan explains.
Daycare workers plan to head to the Department of Education on Brunswick Street from the Grand Parade. Staff who are not in Halifax are being encouraged to stand outside of their work, local MLA office, or to meet in a park.
Skye Bryden-Blom is a reporter with CKHZ 103.5 in Halifax, a Huddle content partner.