Nova Scotia Teachers Union set to vote on strike mandate

The Nova Scotia Teachers Unionhas announced it willhold astrike vote next Tuesdayan unexpected and illegal retaliation against the Liberal government'smove to enactsweeping changes to the province's education system.

The union saysthe decision isdirectly related to theplan to implementsome of the recommendations inthe recently released AvisGlaze report, aimedat overhauling Nova Scotia'seducation system and improving grades.

If teachers vote in favour of a strike mandate, it would clear the way for the union to start job action. However, it wouldn't necessarily mean the province's teachers wouldgo on strike.

The NSTUrecognizes that any job action would be illegal.

"Right now we are not in a legal strike position," said NSTU president Liette Doucet Tuesday. "However we have had votes for illegal strikes in the past."

Ready to consider all options

During last year's contract dispute with the province, teachers adoptedwork-to-rule, carrying outonly theminimum amount of work required by their contract.

"I'm not saying anything about any specific type of job action, however they're willing to consider all the options,"Doucetsaid Tuesday.

In an email that went out toNSTUmembers outlining thestrike mandate vote on Feb. 20,Doucetwrote thatteachers could not "sit on our hands."

"We believe this will put us in a strong position to fight back againsta government that refuses to consult and has a hard time listening," the email read.

Glaze report 'does nothing' for students: union

The teacher's union saysthe changes proposed by the Glaze reportwill hurt students.

"This report does nothing," Doucet said. "The recommendations do nothing to make the improvements necessary to make sure students are successful."

WhenCBCNews askedDoucetif she could offer an exampleof how a student could be negatively affected by a Glaze report recommendation, she wasn't able to do so.

"I'm not prepared to do that right now, but as we go through I may be able to come up with some scenarios that would really illustrate what we're talking about," she said.

"I think that our members agree the situation is dire, that we need to stand up to do what is necessary to protect public education."

'I really don't understand it' says education minister

In an email statement, the province's Education Departmentsaid the teachers' current contract agreement is in place until July 31, 2019, and "any job action undertaken while this is in place would be illegal."

Education Minister ZachChurchill told CBCNews on Tuesday night he was surprised by the union's decision to ask for a strike mandate.

"We don't think that itis a rational act at this point," Churchill said.

"I really don't understand it. I know that there's disagreement, but disruption to our classes is not in the best interest of our kids or the public, and I really hope this isn't an action that's taken."

Churchill said the report suggests giving teachers more say over course materials, involving them in development of curriculum, and putting more resources into the classroom.

"I see all these things as being beneficial to the system or education and the delivery of education to our kids," he said.

"The last time we saw this sort of action taken, teachers were telling us that they needed change and the system needed to change."

Union held telephone town hall

The union held a telephone town hall Tuesday nightfor teachers to discuss the Glaze report's recommendations.

Doucet said teachers were concerned about the province's plan to remove school administrators from the NSTU.

"They're very concerned about how that will affect the schools, how it will affect the way we have worked since the union began. Administrators have always been part of the union," Doucet said.

There was little mention of a strike during the call since the focus was on the recommendations in the Glaze report, but many members expressedconcernsabouthow the union would get its message out to the public in the most effective way.

"This is not about money and last year we heard lots of government rhetoric saying the teachers are after money," said Janine Kerr, assistant executive director of the NSTU, during the town hall. "To be really clear, this is about public education and saving it from a disastrous course."

The Glaze report, released last month, makes 22 recommendations,including dissolving Nova Scotia's seven elected regional school boards to create one provincial advisory council andmoving principals and vice-principals out of the union.

Education MinisterZachChurchill has said the province will move forward with "the spirit and intent" of all therecommendations, but will initially start with 11 of them.