Three weeks of strike has come to an end for more than 300 Hanover School Division (HSD) EAs, as 83 percent of them voted to ratify a deal offered by school division. As of Thursday, November 23, it’s back to work as usual for the majority of EAs.
Representatives from HSD and CLAC Local 306, the union representing local EAs, met numerous times last week to hash out a tentative agreement which the union believed to be the most palatable one yet.
Details were finalized at a meeting on November 20, and by November 21 the deal was ratified by the HSD trustee board.
The union’s bargaining committee met with the EAs on November 22, recommending an acceptance of that offer.
Reflecting on the weeks of strike action, a union rep described those days as amazing, empowering, very difficult, and unifying. They also acknowledged that, for many EAs, a shift has taken place that may take time to heal—and it may make the return to work difficult.
If properly rehabilitated, injuries can result in greater strength, this person added, and the union is committed to that rehabilitation process.
According to the union, HSD was inviting all EAs to return to work on 30 minutes early on Thursday, on paid time, to allow for a re-acclimatization to their work environment.
