Elementary teachers contracting COVID-19 at more than triple the rate of secondary teachers. #bcpoli

New WorksafeBC analysis shows #bced elementary teachers need more protections like a mask mandate in schools. Full news release and details at bctf.ca/NewsReleases.a…. New WorkSafeBC data shows higher rates of occupational COVID19 infection claims among #bced elementary teachers compared to secondary teachers. As of March 11, 2021, 80 occupational COVID19 claims had been approved for K–7 teachers, compared to 25 for those teaching Grades 8–12.

#BCed teachers are deeply concerned to hear about exposures connected to more infectious variants of COVID19 in schools in Surrey and Delta. It is time for decisive action by government and health officials to counter this new threat to the safety of schools. #BCpoli thread ⬇️ It’s imperative that staff, students, and parents within these #bced communities follow the directions of health officials. In the broader community, we need people to do all they can to limit the potential spread of these variants, so they don’t find their way into our schools.

Teachers want to get back into classrooms and help give our students the best education possible. And, like every other worker, we have a right to be safe. The #bcpoli government's #bced restart plan needs more prevention measures to ensure everyone's safety. Thread: The #bcpoli government and health officials have done excellent work on enhancing contact tracing strategies, but our #bced members are rightly concerned that not enough has been done on preventing the transmission of the virus in schools.

Our response to #bcpoli's #bced restart plan: bctf.ca/NewsReleases.a….

The plan is not ready and needs more work if it’s going to be successful, keep everyone safe. We are pleased to see more funding for cleaning and PPE, but too many unanswered questions remain at this time. Thread from #bced's @TeriMooring: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all of us, especially children and youth,. Education is vital and we all agree that students need to return to school, rebuild their social connections, and learn from their teachers in a classroom setting.

When the #bcpoli government decided to expand #bced in-class instruction this spring, we went to work to ensure strong and very effective health and safety measures would be in place. We appreciate the hard work and collaboration, but there are still areas that need more work. We know many teachers and parents are anxious and concerned. That's understandable.

We're pleased that the safety standards are provincial and that districts can't rush to open before June 1st. It's good to see that their plans need to be approved and completed. #bced #bcpoli

#BCed BCTF members, the Collective Agreement ratification vote is set for April 28-30. We will be using a secure online platform that is trusted by our teacher union counterparts in Ontario. To vote, we need your correct contact information. Here is a thread on how to check it. To check what email address is on file for you, go to bctf.ca/mybctf. If you’re already registered on the portal, login and verify that your information under “Your Info” on the home page. If your info is not up-to-date, click on “Update Your Info” and follow the prompts