EXCERPTS
The union representing most unionized child care workers in Nova Scotia is urging Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development Karen Casey to mark International Women's Day (March 8) by finally releasing her government's review of regulated child care.
CUPE Nova Scotia President Mike McNeil says, "This important review was launched in January 2015. Here we are 15 months later and we've seen nothing from the provincial government on this file.
"Nova Scotia has the lowest paid yet most highly-trained Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in the country. This sector has been plagued by high staff turnover and low staffing levels due to inferior wages and working conditions," says McNeil.
"What better way to mark International Women's Day than to take a bold move in the direction of women's equality by announcing a wage increase for the thousands of women who provide these valuable services for working families," says McNeil.
CUPE Child Care Co-ordinator Naomi Stewart says, "We were pleased to see Minister Karen Casey listing wages and benefits for early childhood educators as a priority when she announced the review originally, since this is directly tied to program quality in the sector."
She says CUPE has been supporting the work of the Nova Scotia's Child Care Association's 'Worthy Wage' campaign. More info on that can be found on their website: http://nschildcareassociation.org/worthy-wage-day-2015/
Stewart says CUPE represents approximately 200 ECEs in five centres in Halifax and one in Bridgewater and is the largest child care union in Canada.
-reprinted from Marketwired