NSTU Work-to-Rule and CUPE Strikes: What Happens to Your Child's IPP in Nova Scotia

Labour disruptions in Nova Scotia schools hit families of children with disabilities harder than anyone else. When the NSTU goes to work-to-rule, IPP meetings may be suspended or treated as "struck work." During CUPE EPA strikes, some schools have told disabled students to stay home. Understanding exactly what each type of action means for your child — and what you can legally demand during it — changes how you navigate these recurring disruptions.

NSTU Work-to-Rule: What Stops, What Doesn't

When the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) implements work-to-rule, teachers are directed to perform only the duties specified in their contract and to work only their contracted hours. The NSTU's work-to-rule FAQ identifies specific activities that are suspended:

• IPP meetings and PPT meetings may be suspended or treated as "struck work" during job action
• TIENET data entry — the provincial IPP software system — may be suspended or treated as struck work, delaying updates to IPP goals, progress, or new assessments
• Electronic communication with parents through apps and portals (such as school-based communication platforms) may be suspended
• Extracurricular supervision may stop, which can affect before/after school programs some students rely on

What may continue:

• Classroom instruction during school hours, subject to the job action and operational conditions
• Existing IPP supports that staff can safely maintain
• Student safety measures, subject to available staffing

The practical result for IPP families: you may lose your primary communication channel, be unable to get an IPP meeting scheduled, and see the documentation that would normally accompany your child's progress reporting stall.

What You Can Do During Work-to-Rule

Continue requesting in writing. Even if the school may be unable to schedule a PPT meeting outside school hours during work-to-rule, your written requests create a timeline showing that you tried to address the issue. File formal requests with the RCE Coordinator of Student Services — they are not bound by the NSTU job action.

Request an in-school-hours PPT meeting. Work-to-rule prohibits meetings outside contracted hours, not meetings during the school day. Ask specifically whether a PPT meeting can be held during the school day, even if this means pulling staff from other duties briefly.

Document what isn't happening. If TIENET updates stop and your child's IPP progress can't be tracked, note this in writing to the school. When the action ends, request a full PPT meeting to review what was missed and bring the documentation up to date.

Contact the RCE directly. The RCE administration is not bound by the NSTU job action. If the school is unable to address your concerns due to the job action, escalate directly to the Coordinator of Student Services at the regional level.

CUPE EPA Strikes: The Bluntest Harm

CUPE represents EPAs and other school-support workers in some Nova Scotia RCEs. When CUPE workers in the South Shore and Annapolis Valley engaged in strike action over pay equity disputes, the impact on students with disabilities was direct and immediate.

During past CUPE EPA strikes, schools have stated that they cannot safely operate certain programs without EPAs. This has led some schools to explicitly tell parents of disabled students to keep their children home, while neurotypical students continue attending. Children were told directly to stay home during Annapolis Valley CUPE strikes.

This is one of the starkest examples of disability discrimination in Nova Scotia's school system. Neurotypical students may attend school during a CUPE strike while students who need EPA support may not be able to attend under the school's stated arrangements. The right to education is being rationed based on disability.

What Parents Can Do During a CUPE EPA Strike

Push back on the "stay home" directive. Ask the school to provide, in writing, its legal basis for excluding your child. This forces the school to articulate a position that may not be defensible under the Human Rights Act.

Document every day your child is excluded. Date, the stated reason, and who communicated it. This is evidence for a future Human Rights complaint.

Contact the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. During active strike action, filing a formal complaint may not resolve the immediate situation, but it creates an official record and signals to the RCE that parents are prepared to pursue formal remedies.

Contact your RCE and the provincial Department of Education. The EECD has an obligation to ensure that labour disputes don't result in disability-based exclusion from education. Escalating to the provincial level — especially if multiple families are affected — creates political pressure that school-level communication can't.

Planning Ahead for the Next Disruption

Nova Scotia has experienced recurring labour disputes in education. NSTU work-to-rule and CUPE EPA actions are not one-time events — they're periodic features of the school system's labour landscape.

Ask the school, at your next PPT meeting, to include a "labour disruption contingency plan" in the IPP: specific provisions for what happens to your child's supports and communication during a job action. Schools may resist, but having the conversation on record means you've put the issue on the official agenda.

The Nova Scotia Special Ed Advocacy Playbook includes a dedicated section on navigating labour disruptions — what to request, what to document, and how to use the formal escalation system when teachers and EPAs can't or won't communicate through normal channels.

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