News release

Seasonal Employees Extended

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (Oct. 2007 - Feb. 2021)

The province has extended the work terms of about 200 seasonal highway employees as part of its infrastructure stimulus efforts, providing more immediate service to the public and allowing staff to bridge their employment between the winter and summer seasons.

"We recognize this is a difficult time in our economy and are pleased we are able to keep these people working and bridge the gap between their winter and summer jobs," said Brooke Taylor, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "They will join the hundreds of full-time department employees and private contractors who will be building and maintaining our roads this construction season."

The province recently announced that the 2009-10 highway capital budget will increase by about 60 per cent to more than $340 million.

Each year the province hires about 500 people to perform winter maintenance. Typically these employees are laid off when the season finishes at the end of March. About 200 of those employees are re-hired at the start of the summer construction season at the end of May. Most of those who do not return for the summer season have other jobs or their own businesses so are not available for work with the department.

"This is great news for employees and we are very pleased with the department's efforts to keep as many people working as possible," said Gareth Drinnan, president of Local 1867 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. "This extended work term, along with the dramatic increase in the highways capital budget, means our members will be kept very busy in 2009 improving the roads for our fellow Nova Scotians."

Employees kept on during the eight weeks between the winter and summer season will work on road patching, brush cutting and other spring maintenance projects. Major road construction projects cannot begin until large trucks are allowed on the roads when spring weight restrictions are removed in May.