It is school board budget season and, as in previous years, districts are projecting deficits that will impact programming, jobs and services the public relies on. But unlike other years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created larger potential deficits for this fiscal year because new costs and additional pandemic expenses are causing a shortfall in projected revenues. Another factor in school board budgets is government funding for collectively bargained increases, known as “labour settlement funding.”

School districts, like most other local government entities, are not permitted to budget for a deficit. So, for the 2021/2022 budget processes, senior staff and trustees will try to find savings to bring revenue and expense predictions into alignment. Given the
proportion of school district budgets spent on labour costs and core operations, members and the public face the prospect of cuts to programming, services and jobs provided by school districts.

As we are in the midst of a third wave of COVID, it is difficult to imagine what September might look like. We expect districts will be conservative in their budgeting due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic, but we are hopeful that the district budgets being contemplated now are based on worst-case scenarios.

Contingency funds budgeted

It is important to note that the B.C. government has budgeted for contingency funds should the pandemic continue, funds that could be used to help the K-12 sector manage costs.

The 2021/2022 B.C. Budget includes:

• $3.25 million allocated for pandemic and recovery related needs
• $2.15 million allocated to specific programs and measures
• $1.1 billion is currently unallocated and reserved for “unanticipated urgent health or recovery measures”

Creating sustainability and avoiding damage

Work is being done to call on the B.C. Government to:

• Extend temporary COVID relief funding/apply provincial contingency funds and provide confirmation of this funding to school districts
• Continue daytime custodial and the higher standards of sanitation and maintenance in K-12
• Ensure that labour settlement funding is applied accurately to school districts, so that each and every district is fully funded for collective agreement cost increases.

This appeal to the B.C. government is happening now in an attempt to avoid damaging cuts and to enable school boards to build budgets with sustainable service levels.

Work is also needed at the local level to ensure that school boards are doing their part to mitigate the challenges of the coming year.

Locals are encouraged to call on their school districts to prioritize the maintenance of staffing levels and apply less drastic budget projections to minimize the impact on programming. While a responsible approach to the risks of next year is encouraged, we must be vigilant about school boards and senior staff using uncertainty to justify austerity budgets. We must come out strongly against any and all austerity measures.

A reminder for local presidents, unit chairs or members who are interested in getting involved in the school board budget consultation process: register and attend the School Board Budget Workshop, hosted by CUPE National, Wednesday, May 12 at 5:30 pm.

Warren Williams

K-12 Presidents Council President

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Districts that already had online learning set up were better prepared to deal with the pandemic and remote learning. Setting schools up with networks and technology was challenging but tech departments swung into action and got the job done.

Members identified and discussed their bargaining priorities as well as other important concerns.

Issues arising from the pandemic include:

• having to adapt to different programs
• challenging turnaround times
• increased workload
• having to adapt to working at home, then being mandated to go back to the office
• added anxiety, stress and workload

Members on the call also took the opportunity to ask questions about a variety of topics.

Working from home

Members discussed working from home with some saying they would prefer to continue working from home. The CUPE National Health and Safety Representative noted that upwards of 40 per cent of workers would prefer to work from home. However, working from home is a health and safety issue because there is no ability to do risk assessments of home workstations and if an injury occurs, WorkSafeBC may question that you were actually doing work at the time.

Job descriptions

Members discussed job descriptions, a pressing concern for this group.  Some members on the call were from locals currently participating in the Joint Job Evaluation pilot project, which was also discussed.

Mental wellness

Being able to take time off for mental health, and the importance of terminology around mental health issues and leave language was discussed in depth.

Determining provincial proposals

Locals send bargaining surveys to their members to determine their issues and concerns. Every K-12 president is a member of the K-12 Presidents Council. The K-12 Presidents Council discusses issues and votes on which local issues to take forward provincially.

Participants were joined on the call by K-12 Presidents Council executive members, local presidents and CUPE National staff.

K-12 and early learning members are encouraged to take part in this exciting opportunity to hear from others who do the same or similar work, and to share information and priorities.

Labourers, grounds and maintenance are invited to join the call on Tuesday, May 11. On Thursday, May 13 meal program staff  and supervisors, including noon hour supervisors, crossing guards and others are invited to join the call.

REGISTER HERE:

Members are welcome to register for any of these upcoming calls any time on the actual day before the call starts.

May 11 5:30 – 7:30 pm Labourers, Grounds and Maintenance

May 13 5:30 – 7:30 pm Meal Program Staff & Supervisors, including noon hour, Crossing Guards & others

May 17 5:30 – 7:30 pm Strong Start, ECEs, and similar classifications

May 18 5:30 – 7:30 pm Trades

 Please follow us @cupek12bc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and view bulletins at https://bcschools.cupe.ca.

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Tuesday’s call with Indigenous support workers, youth and family workers, library support staff and other direct student support classifications was powerful both because of the generous sharing of personal stories and in terms of the unique challenges these members face.

Members identified and discussed their bargaining priorities as well as other important concerns.

Library assistants noted that the pandemic has brought a feeling of disconnection, as the number of students in libraries is now limited and digital systems are being used to place holds on books, etc.

The work of Indigenous support workers (ISWs) and youth and family workers relies on relationships of trust with students and their families, and for ISWs, the Indigenous community as well.

These members work closely with families to support a wide variety of needs. COVID-19 has seriously undermined their ability to communicate, provide service, and support students and their families.

Additional pandemic challenges for this group include:

• lack of private space to meet and talk with students because all space in schools is now used for distancing
• it’s not possible to do cultural programs because of pandemic protocols (e.g., no smudging ceremonies)
• many Indigenous students are afraid to be in schools because they have safety concerns about physical distancing and not wearing masks
• when students have to isolate for two weeks, they often do not come back to school
• some Indigenous students do not have access to technology so online learning is not an option
• many students live in close quarters with multiple generations, so families are not willing to risk sending students to school
• ISWs face intense pressure to get Indigenous students back to school, but many parents no longer answer their phone, text messages or email because they are tired of being asked to do so

A poll question about driving students or members of their family opened a fulsome discussion about ISWs using personal vehicles (and cell phones) to do their work. Districts use a variety of systems to meet student transportation needs from purchasing bus tickets for students to covering mileage costs incurred by workers.

Participants were joined on the call by K-12 Presidents Council executive members, local presidents and CUPE National staff.

K-12 and early learning members are encouraged to take part in this exciting opportunity to hear from others who do the same or similar work, and to share information and priorities.

The next call on Thursday, May 6 is scheduled for IT tech support, technicians and other similar classifications.

REGISTER HERE:

Members are welcome to register for any of these upcoming calls any time on the actual day before the call starts.

May 6 5:30 – 7:30 pm IT, Tech Support, Technicians, and similar classifications

May 11 5:30 – 7:30 pm Labourers, Grounds and Maintenance

May 13 5:30 – 7:30 pm Meal Program Staff & Supervisors, including noon hour, Crossing Guards & others

May 17 5:30 – 7:30 pm Strong Start, ECEs, and similar classifications

May 18 5:30 – 7:30 pm Trades

Please follow us @cupek12bc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and view bulletins at https://bcschools.cupe.ca.

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Hundreds of education assistants, SSWs, CEAs and similar classifications participated in four Zoom meetings held over the last two weeks to share their experiences and issues. Members identified and discussed their bargaining priorities as well as other important concerns.

Experiencing the pandemic

EAs dealt with and continue to face many challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic including:

• anxiety and stress due to lack of or late communication about exposures and confirmed cases
• additional pressures around transitioning between multiple cohorts
• the ongoing need to remind students about safety protocols while providing support to multiple students
• mask challenges including speaking loudly enough; understanding and being understood while speaking with a mask; students having difficulty keeping masks on; difficulties in reading student emotions behind their masks
• less collaboration and less connection with colleagues equals less support for this group
• fewer resources when working with students with challenging behaviours such as not having access to sensory rooms
• unable to maintain physical distancing in this work
• increased difficulty in having questions about safety plans addressed
• anxiety, fatigue and burnout

Workplace violence

Many raised the issue of workplace violence that continues unabated during COVID. Some EAs are not getting access to student safety plans. Members have the right to refuse unsafe work. The steering committee continues to work with BCPSEA, the Ministry, and other
stakeholders in education on this serious issue.

Integrated early care and learning

A Q&A session followed a brief powerpoint on integrated before- and after-school care. The majority of EAs on the calls were interested in learning more about how school districts can expand these programs through in-house operation. Folks were encouraged to visit the website, send a message to their local trustees, and share the page on social media.

Standardization and training

EAs were pleased that standardization of credentials is moving forward and were directed to the position paper, Standard Credentials for Education Assistants, for more information and were asked to provide their feedback on its content and the direction CUPE will be taking on this important topic.

Participants were joined by K-12 Presidents Council executive, local presidents and staff. K-12 (and early learning) members are encouraged to take part in this ongoing series.

A call for Indigenous support workers, youth and family workers, library support staff and other direct support classifications will be held May 4 at 5:30 p.m.

How to register

Each call has a unique Zoom link which will take you to a separate registration form. You must register for each call you wish to attend. You will receive an email with your call information after you register. If you have any problem, please email: closito@cupe.ca

May 4           5:30 – 7:30 pm        Indigenous Support Workers, Youth and Family Workers, Library Support Staff and other direct student support classifications

May 6           5:30 – 7:30 pm        Tech Support, Technicians, and similar classifications

May 11         5:30 – 7:30 pm        Labourers, Grounds and Maintenance

May 13         5:30 – 7:30 pm        Meal Program Staff & Supervisors, including noon hour, Crossing Guards & others

May 17         5:30 – 7:30 pm        Strong Start, ECEs, and similar classifications

May 18         5:30 – 7:30 pm        Trades

Please follow us @cupek12bc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and view bulletins at https://bcschools.cupe.ca.

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CUPE members in K-12 and early learning are strongly encouraged to file a WorkSafeBC claim, using Form 6, in any and all instances where they have reason to believe they contracted COVID-19 while at work.

Current data provided by WorkSafeBC shows that the number of COVID-19 claims received for the education sector is quite low relative to the health and social services sectors. This suggests that the rate of COVID-19 cases from K-12 workplaces is low or that there is significant under-reporting of COVID-19 illnesses in this sector, or a combination of both.

It is a legislated requirement to report to WorkSafeBC if you have contracted COVID-19 while working. Also, there may be unforeseen long term conditions from COVID-19 that may be compensable, such as post-COVID syndrome. COVID-19 claims may be accepted for health care benefits even if there is no time loss.

Reporting illness or injury

As per the Guide on Filing WCB Claims for COVID-19 the process for reporting an illness or injury (including COVID-19) resulting from your employment is to:

• Report to your employer AND
• Complete and submit a WorkSafeBC Form 6 found at this link or provided by your employer when you report a workplace illness or injury

Members must report COVID-19 illness to their employer and to WorkSafeBC, and it is in their best interests to do so.

Cases of COVID-19 in the education sector are viewed by WorkSafeBC as due to presumptive workplace exposure. This means that cases of COVID-19 reported by K-12 (and early learning) staff have a high likelihood to be presumed as work-related and approved for claim.

Benefits of reporting to WorkSafeBC

On an approved claim, any time loss may be covered by WorkSafeBC rather than impacting a member’s pay or sick bank. Reporting cases of COVID-19 may also protect members from any time loss related to unforeseen subsequent health impacts resulting from the initial COVID-19 illness.  Having members file claims and report that a claim has been filed is important information for Joint Health and Safety Committees and health and safety in the workplace.

We will continue to remind WorkSafeBC and other stakeholders that we expect inclusive references to everyone in the education system, rather than simply referencing “teachers”. In the interest of transparency we have asked that WorkSafeBC provide data on the number of CUPE members, teachers, and administrators exposed to COVID-19, as well as the number of claims accepted in each category.

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Please follow us @cupek12bc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and view bulletins at https://bcschools.cupe.ca.