The results are in and Peter Day has been elected as president-elect of the Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union–or NSTU–as of Wednesday, May 29. Day received just over 60% of the vote in his win over Shawn Hanifen, as 69% of the union voted in the electronic run-off ballot.
Day has been teaching for 22 years and is currently working as a technology mentor for the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education. Day is a member of the NSTU's provincial executive, where he serves as the secretary treasurer.
This was the second, or run-off ballot, between just two candidates because the first round of voting between five candidates on May 15 did not result in a majority winner.
Day will take over his new role when current NSTU president, Ryan Lutes, finishes his term on July 31 of this year. NSTU president terms are two years in length, for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Day was edged out by Lutes in the 2022 election, in a similar run-off vote. Lutes is a former math teacher from Halifax West High School, and served previously as the president of the Halifax City Local chapter. He chose not to run for re-election.
Formed in 1895, the NSTU represents over 10,000 teachers across the province and 22 distinct local chapters. Lutes has seen the union through their last round of collective bargaining, which lasted 10 months, required conciliation, received a 98% strike vote from the union, and resulted in a ratified agreement on May 22.
In a news release following the union’s ratification vote, Lutes says the agreement includes “several important gains for teachers,” and “serves as a solid stepping stone to future progress.”
The release highlights positives from the new four-year agreement, including:
- a salary increase of 11.47% over three years, retroactive to Aug. 1, 2023,
- an additional 12% salary increase for substitute teachers and a shortening of consecutive time required to qualify as a full-time teacher by eight days,
- an increase in time teachers have for marking and preparation to a minimum of 15% instructional time,
- an increase in the number of school counsellors across the province and
- a guarantee from the province “ that neither class sizes or the instructional day will grow under this contract.”
During Lutes’ presidency, the NSTU released results of a survey in February 2024 that found 84% of teachers surveyed answered “Yes” to the question: “‘In the past five years, have you considered leaving the teaching profession, or moving to another province or country to teach?’”
The release includes the top six reasons teachers listed as motivating their choice to leave as:
- Burnout
- High workload
- Lack of resources available to support students
- Lack of support from employer
- Lack of respect or mistreatment from the employer and/or government
- Rising levels of school violence
Lutes says in the release that the province must “realize the status quo in our schools is unsustainable and…take action.” Lutes and the NSTU will be following along closely on June 11 when the auditor general releases her report, entitled “Preventing and Addressing Violence in Nova Scotia Public Schools.” Lutes will be addressing the Provincial Standing Committee on Public Accounts on June 19 following the audit’s release, although the NSTU was originally prevented from doing so.
At the NSTU Annual Council meeting that took place earlier this month from May 3-5, both Day and Hanifen spoke to the room about their campaigns.
Day told the room that simply listing the problems teachers face is unnecessary–-everyone already knows them–but that action is what’s needed. “Do you want a fire alarm or a fire extinguisher,” he asked the room. He received an applause break when he mentions what happened when he criticized the province’s back to school plan from at home learning. “I spoke the truth of the membership and was suspended for five days without pay because of it…and during the arbitration process scored a huge win for protecting union speech.”
