Nova Scotia school support workers can legally strike from Monday, but Halifax schools will open as usual

As of 4:27 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026

About 5,500 school support workers in Nova Scotia represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees would be in a legal strike position on Monday, Oct. 26, if no deal is reached, CBC News reported.

The Halifax Regional Centre for Education told families on Oct. 23 that CUPE had not yet given the required 48 hours' notice of a legal labor disruption, so all of its schools will operate as usual on Monday, Oct. 26, and Tuesday, Oct. 27.

"While we are pleased that CUPE has not initiated a labour disruption, the union could provide 48 hours' notice of a strike at any time," Regional Executive Director Steve Gallagher wrote. He said schools continue to develop contingency plans.

Union says no movement

In a statement Friday, the eight member locals of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions said they had told the government and school employers on Oct. 19 what it would take to reach a settlement. "It is now Friday. There has been no movement, and no indication that government is willing to meet the needs of school support staff," the statement said.

"We have put forward a path to settlement. It is up to government to respond," the unions said. The statement said a final conciliation meeting with the regional centres for education and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial was scheduled for Friday.

The workers include educational program assistants, early childhood educators in the pre-primary program, bus drivers, custodians and library support staff, CBC reported. Core issues include wages, benefits, school safety, staffing levels and training, according to CBC.

What is not known

The sources do not say what happened at Friday's conciliation meeting.