With schools set to reopen to more students on June 1, I know there are concerns about health and safety and your rights as workers. The @bctf & our locals have been working to ensure SDs have done enough to ensure schools are safe for teachers, support staff, and students. 1/
Government officials have reviewed & approved each school district’s health and safety plan. Both the Premier @jjhorgan and Dr. Henry have publicly stated that they would not be moving forward if they didn’t believe it was safe to do so. /3 #bced #bcpoli #covid19BC
I know some of you are still concerned. That’s understandable and I want you to know that you should report anything that is unsafe in your schools to your school-based Health and Safety Representative, Staff Representative, or local union office. 4/ #bced #covid19BC
The responsibility for maintaining the high health and safety standards rests with your school district, but the @bctf Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees have a critical oversight role. Your @bctf union is represented on that committee. 5/ #bced #covid19BC
The @bctf has been meeting 3X a week with Local Presidents & then directly relaying concerns or problems to government. We have also provided opportunities for our health and safety representatives to get briefings and share information.6/
Your union is here to support you. We have been working very hard to ensure members with underlying health issues are kept safe. Our locals are working on accommodations for those members with the school districts. 7/.
It was reassuring to hear the Minister of Education @Rob_Fleming say that the law is clear on accommodations and he expects districts to work with our locals to ensure they are granted where there is appropriate medical documentation. 8/
Many @bctf teachers are also concerned about the balance between remote learning & in-class instruction. You cannot, and are not expected to do both at the same time. It’s important that school districts communicate this information clearly to families. 9/
We all need to look after ourselves during this stressful time, this includes not increasing our workloads. Government has stated that districts need to work with @bctf local unions to ensure workload is not increased. If you have concerns be sure to contact your local union.10/
I know many teachers are skeptical, after years of underfunding & cuts to custodial staff, that schools will be properly cleaned. They must be. That is part of the mandatory provincial standards. If you have a concern, let your staff rep or health and safety rep know. 11/
For more information, you can listen to the BCTF’s telephone town halls from May 20 and 21 on the front page of the BCTF member portal bctf.ca. There is additional information on our Health and Safety web page. 12/
As an @bctf member you have free access to Starling Minds, an online mental wellness tool. It is a confidential Cognitive Behaviour Therapy program specifically designed for teachers. It helps you assess, monitor, and improve your mental fitness in the privacy of your home. 13/
This is a time of high anxiety and stress for everyone. In addition, many teachers are reporting feelings of guilt for not being able to support students the way they normally would. This is all normal and you are not alone. 14/
You can only do so much and taking care of yourself and your loved ones is the most important thing you can do as we all readjust to yet another phase of this #covid19BC pandemic.
Thank you for everything you are doing every single day to help each other and your students. 15/
Thank you for everything you are doing every single day to help each other and your students. 15/
The support @bctf teachers provide has been critical not only to our students, their families, but also to our communities.
Please take care and be safe.
Teri Mooring
BCTF President
Please take care and be safe.
Teri Mooring
BCTF President
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