‘We're not a pushover:' N.S unions take part in Labour Day rally

Unions from across Nova Scotia marched the streets of downtown Halifax for a Labour Day rally. 'We're having a rally for Labor Day to show solidarity between all of the unions here in Nova Scotia and show the government that we stand together,' says Debbie Richardson, president of the Halifax-Dartmouth District Labour Council. Marc-Edouard Joubert, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, says the fight for worker rights is even more important amid the Canada and U.S tariff war. 'We know that it will probably have an impact on the increase of prices in some areas, and that it can lead to some people losing their jobs,' says Joubert. 'We can think about forestry, shipyards, construction… they're already under pressure and we're worried that those tariffs are going to be devastating for some communities.' Many unions, including the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, are already busy with their own battles. 'We're struggling with a situation here where teacher retention is a big deal lately,' says Melanie Kennedy-Conrad, fine arts specialist with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education. 'A lot of people are making the decision to leave teaching, and if we don't fix those issues within the system, our system isn't going to last.' Still, she says tariffs are top of mind for the education sector. 'I think we're always trying to straddle the line of making a budget conscious decision for what we put into our classrooms… let's face it, with dollars the way they are, our classrooms are never fully funded to the point that we would like them to be funded.' Amidst the uncertainty, Richardson says there is optimism that Canada will weather the storm. 'It may turn out to be a blessing in disguise because we can help promote Canadian jobs and Canadian products and show people that we're not a pushover.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page