CUPE has heard the concerns from early childhood educators who work in child care centres throughout Nova Scotia and have taken those concerns to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Yesterday, Premier Rankin and Dr. Strang announced a provincewide shutdown, but said child care centres are “essential” and would remain open and child care would be made available to essential workers.

Early childhood educators are concerned about the lack of details that were missing from the announcement regarding the health and safety of staff and children in centres.

“We’ve heard from many early childhood educators who work in centres and they are concerned about safety protocols, ratio limits, mixing of cohorts, wage security, and the viability of centres,” says Margot Nickerson, president of CUPE 4745, representing ECEs working in child care centres in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“After our discussions with the Department this morning concerning the issues raised by ECEs, we look forward to hearing more details about the plan coming this afternoon,” says Nan McFadgen, President of CUPE Nova Scotia.

“We will continue to advocate for the protection our members need to remain safe at work, as we are reminded of the lives lost since the pandemic began, especially today, the Day of Mourning for Workers Injured or Killed on the Job,” states McFadgen.