Historic NSCC Strike Imminent

Author: Susan Thompson Graham

March 15, 2024

Atlantic Academic Union members plan to hit the picket lines on Monday, March 18, in a strike that will stretch from Sydney to Yarmouth, N.S. The union, which represents 1,081 Nova Scotia Community College faculty and professional support, are in a legal strike position after filing the required 48-hours’ notice to the provincial Minister of Labour. In order to try to reach an agreement without a strike, binding arbitration was offered by the union but rejected by NSCC.

The action comes following an unproductive negotiation meeting with the Atlantic Academic Union negotiation team, NSCC and the provincial conciliators on March 14. The meeting occurred at the end of the mandated two-week cooling off period. 

The union arrived ready to go at 9:00 a.m. expecting to receive NSCC’s counteroffer in response to the Union’s March 3 offer.  Unfortunately, It took five hours to receive NSCC’s first counteroffer. “After many delays throughout the day, the college gave us what they said was the final offer at 7 p.m. and we countered again at 9 p.m.” said Atlantic Academic Union lead negotiator and faculty member Susan Thompson Graham.  

“This was a pivotal day to try to avert a strike and achieve agreement and half the day was wasted by purposeful college delays,” said Thompson Graham. “ We walked away from the table at this point to await response to our final offer”. At midnight, the College emailed the Union another final offer and the Union responded that ”we stand firm on our final offer in the best interest of our members.” 

“We tried very hard to compromise and work within NSCC’s parameters, while still respecting the economic reality of our members who are 14 per cent behind inflation,” said Thompson Graham. “We gave very reasonable counters on the remaining issues including working conditions, fair hiring, wages and protection of bargaining unit work”.  

The Atlantic Academic Union and NSCC have been negotiating a new collective agreement since August 2023, after receiving a strike deadline from AAU members to conclude negotiations within a five-month period. In the past, negotiating a new contract has taken up to four years. Talks initially broke down Jan. 19 and provincial conciliators were appointed. Conciliation talks on Feb. 21 and 22 saw no agreement reached.  

This strike will mark the first in the history of the college.