Talks about the future of snow days proceeding well: teachers

Article content

A joint committee of teachers’ representatives and the province is making progress on talks about the future of snow days, and should have a plan before a June 30 deadline hits, according to the president of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association (NBTA).

But neither Peter Lagacy nor the province are giving any hints about what the new policy might look like.

Currently, staff and students stay home on snow days, but the day counts toward the maximum 195 teaching days outlined in the collective agreement, which was signed in late September.

But that contract came with a caveat about snow days.

“The employer and the union will form a joint committee comprised of three employer representatives and three union representatives to develop a joint recommendation [to the teachers’ union and province] regarding what is expected of teachers on days when buses are not operating due to inclement weather,” reads a letter of agreement within the contract.

“The joint committee will provide its recommendations by no later than the end of the 2023-2024 school year. The parties agree that the general practices in place in the 2022-2023 school year and prior years will remain in place until the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

“For clarity, until the end of the 2023-2024 school year, teachers are not expected to report to the workplace on days when buses are not operating due to inclement weather.”

When the contract was signed, Brunswick News asked the education department what will happen if the committee’s recommendation is rejected, and who has the final say.

“Government will determine how to proceed at the end of 2023-24 school year and consider the recommendations made by the committee,” education department spokesperson Charles Renshaw said in an email.

Brunswick News recently asked Lagacy for an update on the joint committee’s work, and how confident he is that it will have recommendations ready by the end of the school year, which is about seven weeks away.

He said he’s “hopeful.”

“I know they’re meeting, but I don’t believe there’s anything that’s come out of it yet, so I think it’s still in progress,” he said. “I think they’ll come up with something. I don’t see it as a fear (that they won’t).”

The province, which was asked for comment on Thursday, didn’t respond by Friday afternoon.