Bulletin – Changes to Right to Refuse Unsafe Work

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Effective August 22, 2022, WorkSafeBC has implemented amendments to the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work. Workers have the right to refuse unsafe work if they have reasonable cause to believe that performing it would create an undue hazard to the health and safety of any person. Changes will now require employers to provide written notice of an unresolved work refusal to any worker subsequently assigned or allowed to perform that work, and to provide written notice of the reassignment to the joint health and safety committee or a union representative.

These important changes strengthen workers’ fundamental right to a safe workplace and their ability to make workplaces safer for everyone.

The amendments include the addition of a new section under Part 3: Rights and Responsibilities in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation:

3.12.1 (1) Reassignment of refused work

If a worker refuses work under section 3.12, the employer must not require or permit another worker to do the refused work unless

(a) the matter has been resolved under 3.12 (3), (4) or (5), or

(b) the employer has, in writing, advised the other worker and a person referred
to in section 3.12 (4)(a), (b) or (c) of all of the following:

(i) the refusal;

(ii) the unsafe condition reported under section 3.12 (2);

(iii) the reasons why the task would not create an undue hazard to the
health and safety of the other worker or any other person;

(iv) the right of the other worker under section 3.12 to refuse unsafe work.

Visit WorkSafeBC for more information on the amendment.

View PDF here.

Bulletin – Updates for K-12 sector Provincial Communicable Disease Guidelines

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The Ministry of Education and Child Care has issued updated Provincial Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 School Settings. The updates reflect current Provincial Health Officer orders and guidelines from the BC Centre for Disease Control.

There have not been significant changes to the BCCDC’s guidance for K-12 settings, or to the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s Guidelines since the last update in April 2022. However, school districts should review their communicable disease prevention plans with their Site Committees and Joint Health and Safety Committees (WorkSafe BC requirements here). Plans should be made readily available.

The Guidelines now incorporate previously issued Provincial COVID-19 Communicable Disease Guidelines for K-12 Settings, the K-12 Education Recovery Plan and the COVID-19 Protocols for School & District Administrators and Staff: Management of School-Associated Activity.

Key Changes:

– Monitoring of Absences is no longer recommended as part of COVID-19 management; however, school districts are still to notify the Ministry of Education and Child Care when considering or implementing a functional closure.

Key guidelines that remain in place:

– Cleaning and Disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces at least once in a 24-hour period and when visibly dirty.

– Ventilation and Air Circulation with recommendations that schools consider guidance offered by ASHRAE.

– Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette practices should continue to be reinforced with school community.

Updated information can be found on the COVID-19 safe schools web page.

View PDF here.

Bulletin – Standing in Solidarity with BCGEU

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Late last week, the BC Government and General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) issued strike notice on behalf of their members who work in the provincial public service.

Yesterday, they began picketing at four liquor distribution centers: one in Victoria, one in Kamloops and two in the Lower Mainland. They are striking for better wages and cost of living protections, both critically important given increasing costs we are all experiencing.

Our own provincial bargaining, as the K-12 Provincial Bargaining Committee, is still set to resume September 13-15. We expect at that time to resume negotiations to achieve a new provincial framework that improves the wages and benefits of school support workers and allows us to provide the best possible services to students in British Columbia.

We encourage locals and members to show their support for striking BCGEU members. You can do this by sending messages of support or joining a picket line.

Currently the BCGEU is taking job action at these sites:

Delta Distribution Centre (DDC) – 7003 72nd Street, Delta, B.C.
Kamloops Distribution Centre (KDC) – 9881 Dallas Drive, Kamloops, B.C.
Richmond Distribution Centre (RDC) – 3389 No 6 Rd, Richmond, B.C.
Victoria Wholesale Customer Centre – 2291 Government Street, Victoria, B.C.

If the BCGEU escalates job action to additional job sites, CUPE will be informed and pass that information on to members.

Updates on BCGEU bargaining can be found at https://www.bargainingbc.ca/

View PDF here.

Bulletin – Thank you to all school support workers

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With summer upon us, the K-12 Presidents Council would like to thank all school support workers for their exemplary service through another challenging school year. As the pandemic continues, your dedication and professionalism are to be commended.

Thanks to your work, students and families have been able to depend on clean and healthy schools being open and providing high quality public educations throughout this school year.

Bargaining update

We of course also thank you for your solidarity and support as we’ve been bargaining with the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association towards a renewed provincial framework agreement.  We thank everyone who helped guide our bargaining priorities by taking part in our provincial bargaining survey, and for all the work being done at the local level to mobilize our members towards fair collective agreements. We also thank our provincial bargaining committee, and all of the local bargaining committees too, for their hard work and dedication.

We remain committed to continuing our bargaining with the BCPSEA.  We recently scheduled dates for a return to provincial bargaining – September 13-15, 2022.

We remain hopeful a provincial framework agreement centred on a fair wage settlement can be reached that reflects the value and importance of our work to students, families, and communities.

In the meantime, K-12 locals are encouraged to continue preparing for local bargaining and building member mobilization efforts in support of our bargaining committees. CUPE continues to work closely with our union allies to achieve fair contracts for all public sector workers, who have been on the frontlines serving our province every day throughout the pandemic.

New video highlighting our work

The K-12 Presidents Council is also pleased to be releasing a new video highlighting the work our members do in school districts across the province. Produced with support from the national union, this 2-minute animated video shows the many crucial jobs our members do, and how important they are to providing quality public educations for students in B.C.

You can watch this new video on our website bcschool.cupe.ca, and on our social media channels – @CUPEK12BC. Please share this video in your communities.

Radio ads

During June, the K-12 Presidents Council has been running radio ads throughout B.C., shining a light on the invaluable work our members do in communities across the province. The radio ad, being carried in every community with a local represented in the K-12 Presidents Council, highlights the crucial role school support workers play for students and families, and the challenges facing our members.

You can hear the ad on your local radio stations, and it is posted on our Facebook page – facebook.com/CUPEK12BC. Please share with your family, friends, and neighbours.

View PDF.

 

Bulletin – Support Staff Job Evaluation Committee

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Background

The Provincial Joint Job Evaluation Program was first initiated during bargaining of the 2014-2019 Provincial Framework Agreement, which was renewed in 2020. The purpose of the Provincial Job Evaluation Plan is to implement and maintain a standardized method of measuring and classifying support staff jobs across BC public school districts. The provincial plan will eventually replace the various local plans once fully implemented.

Phase 2

Testing is nearly complete. This phase involved developing and refining tools and processes for matching local job descriptions with benchmarks across 17 pilot school districts.

Phase 3

Job matching and data gathering, by far the largest phase of the project, is now underway. This phase involves using the job matching tools and processes for the remaining 43 school districts.

Training for school districts on job matching tools and processes has commenced. As of March 31, 2022, training has been completed for the local joint job evaluation committees of the 23 school districts determined to be ‘Ready Now’. These local job evaluation committees are now working on matching local job descriptions to provincial benchmarks.

Over the coming months, the Support Staff Job Evaluation Committee will work with the local joint job evaluation committees of the 20 remaining school districts to prepare them for training beginning September 2022.

Concurrent with job matching and data gathering work, during Phase 3, the Support Staff Job Evaluation Committee will be finalizing the Provincial Job Evaluation Plan and developing an implementation plan. Details of Phase 4: Implementation have yet to be determined.

The Committee has targeted December 2023 as the end date for Phase 3. The project will then move into Phase 4.

FAQ

Why is this work important?

The outcomes of the project will improve equity and consistency in evaluating K-12 support staff jobs across BC public schools districts and locals.

What benefits will be achieved as a result of this project?

An undertaking of this nature is complex and significant. This work will not only address differences in job evaluation practices province-wide, but will also establish best practices and equity for the future. The entire sector benefits when there is consistency and clarity.

Will there be an impact on wages?

The impact on wages will be determined in Phase 4: Implementation, and will be made retroactive to January 2, 2020. It is the parties’ intention that individual incumbents will not be negatively impacted.

Joint Job Evaluation Steering Committee members:

Justin Schmid – CUPE K-12 Coordinator

Jane Massy – CUPE, Local 947

Paul Simpson – CUPE, Local 379 & President of K-12 Presidents’ Council

Warren Williams – CUPE 15

Ranjit Bharaj – BCPSEA

Chris Beneteau – BCPSEA

Kevin Black – School District 50 (Haida Gwaii) and SD 91 (Nechako Lakes)

Royce Norum – School District 57 (Prince George)

Advisors:

Kari Scott-Whyte – CUPE Staff Advisor

Harpinder Sandhu – CUPE Staff Advisor

Jackie Bonsal – BCPSEA Staff Advisor

Joe Strain/Ingrid Van Kemanade – BCPSEA Advisor

Committee Support:

Stephanie Loo – BCPSEA

Questions

Should you have any questions, please contact Justin Schmid, CUPE, at jschmid@cupe.ca, or Joe Strain, BCPSEA, at joestrainprovje@gmail.com.

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