The following message was shared with all HRCE staff and families on Friday, October 30, 2026. 

Families,

I am writing to confirm that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), representing education support workers across Nova Scotia, has now given the required 48 hours’ notice that job action may begin.

This means a province-wide labour disruption could begin as early as Monday, November 2.  
 
Please plan for job action to begin on Monday. If anything changes over the weekend, you will hear directly from me. We are committed to keeping families informed as soon as we know more. The latest updates from government on CUPE collective bargaining, and what job action could mean across the province, can also be viewed here. 
 
As a reminder, the employees represented by CUPE vary across the province, which means the impact of job action would be different in each region and CSAP.

In the event of job action, the following will continue in the Halifax Regional Centre for Education:

• All schools will remain open for in-person learning.
• Teachers are not part of CUPE job action. Teachers will be at work.
• EXCEL employees are also not represented by CUPE. The EXCEL program will continue to operate.
• HRCE’s student transportation will continue to operate. Special needs transportation will operate as usual for students who can reasonably and safely attend school without EPA support.
• The Nova Scotia School Lunch Program will continue to operate.
   

In the event of job action, the following will be disrupted:

• Educational Program Assistants (EPAs) will not be at work. Principals have reached out to all families of students who require EPA support to discuss how their children can continue to access educational services reasonably and safely.
• Pre-Primary Programs will be paused for the duration of the strike, as Early Childhood Educators (Leads and Supports) will not be at work. Pre-Primary children will not attend school. HRCE’s Pre-Primary Leadership Team has created an At Home Learning website for families. This resource includes a number of at-home learning activities and daily stories for children. You can find that resource here.
• Services from the following employees will be paused for the duration of a strike: Library Support Specialists, SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Workers, Child and Youth Care Practitioners, Mi’kmaw/Indigenous Student Support Workers, African Nova Scotian Student Support Workers, Assistive Technology Support Workers and Substitutes for these classifications, where applicable.

I know a labour disruption will be challenging for students, families and our school communities. Our focus will remain on supporting students and doing what we can to minimize impacts to their learning and well-being.

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your school principal.

Steve Gallagher 
Regional Executive Director 
Halifax Regional Centre for Education