The strike scheduled for Thursday is now suspended; the agreement must be ratified by the staff. Education workers in the Annapolis Valley reach a preliminary agreement

The strike of more than 600 education workers at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education was suspended after the union and the employer reached a preliminary agreement late Tuesday. Last week,

The Nova Scotia government and the Public Service Union said the workers, who include pre-primary classroom teachers, educational assistants, and others, could go on strike on October 13.

Talks resumed on Tuesday, and a preliminary agreement was reached just before midnight. The bargaining committee of 73 will recommend accepting the agreement, but the offer still needs to be ratified in a vote by members. Meanwhile, the ratification vote on Tuesday by 70,

which includes school support workers at the South Shore Regional Centre for Education, rejected the employer's offer by 94 percent, as recommended by the negotiating team. School support staff at the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education, who are members of 74, will hold their ratification vote on Wednesday. NSGEU says it expects to be called back to the bargaining table to continue working towards agreements for locals 70 and 74.

Editor: Yusra Bamtaraf