Nova Scotia ECEs on strike for more pay

On September 8, 2025 twenty-three ECEs in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia went on strike after talks broke down with their employer, Munro Academy Early Learning Centre, self-described as being part of an independent private Christian school.   

The employees recently unionized with Unifor Local 4600 and have been trying to negotiate a first collective agreement that will provide them with guaranteed 40-hour work weeks similar to what child care staff have at other Cape Breton early learning and child care centres. Fewer hours of work for employees of the Munro Academy Early Learning Centre means a lower paycheque, as well as less vacation, pension accrual and potential retirement earnings. The hourly wage for ECEs in Nova Scotia is set by a province-wide wage grid unilaterally developed, implemented and funded by the provincial government.

Child Care Now Nova Scotia has issued a statement standing in solidarity with striking ECEs in Sydney Mines. Also, the striking employees were joined on the picket line by parents of Munro Academy last Friday in support of fair work and fair pay. One parent told the media, “The centre offers full-time care, there is no part time. We think they’re held to the highest standards and their hours just don’t reflect that.”