Bulletin – Important update on COVID asymptomatic self-isolation leaves in K-12 sector

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Public health has recently removed the requirement to self-isolate after an exposure for those who have been fully vaccinated. As a result, BCPSEA has just advised the K-12 Presidents Council that the without prejudice and without precedent general paid leave previously available for asymptomatic staff members who are required to isolate due to a COVID-19 exposure will be ending as of December 31, 2021, subject to the following conditions:

The general paid leave is being discontinued for employees who can be vaccinated but have chosen not to receive the vaccination. After January 1, 2022, an unvaccinated asymptomatic employee who is required to isolate because they have been exposed to COVID-19 will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence.

An employee who has medical documentation from a practitioner substantiating a medical exemption from vaccination, as recognized by the Provincial Health Officer as being a contraindication to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, would still be eligible for the paid leave.

Employees who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine due to a reason other than a medical condition, that they believe would otherwise entitle them to an accommodation under the Human Rights Code of British Columbia, may be asked for additional information to substantiate that request to be eligible for the paid leave.

Please contact your National Representative if you have any further questions regarding this matter.

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Bulletin – Fill out your K-12 provincial bargaining survey TODAY!

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With bargaining for the K-12 Provincial Framework Agreement approaching, your Provincial Bargaining Committee needs your input on bargaining priorities.

We are asking you to please CLICK HERE to fill out this survey.

It should only take about 15-20 minutes of your time. This survey is your chance to have a say on the priorities of your Provincial Bargaining Committee.

Some survey questions that are included are personal in nature.  This is so that we can gain a better understanding of the demographics and needs of our membership and more effectively ensure that employers respect your rights.

All answers will be kept CONFIDENTIAL by CUPE, and they WILL NOT be shared with the employer or any other union members.

The Provincial Bargaining Committee includes representatives from all regions of B.C. and has developed this survey for all K-12 support staff across the province. The survey results will provide guidance for the Provincial Bargaining Committee as we develop our bargaining proposals.

Your answers will be kept confidential, and they will be invaluable to your bargaining committee. The results will also be shared with your Local to help inform bargaining at your Local table. We want to hear your voice!

The survey will be open until December 17, 2021.

You can access the survey here: survey-sondage.cupe.ca/index.php/664693

Thank you in advance from your Provincial Bargaining Committee!

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Bulletin – Flood response impacts to K-12 education sector

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Last week’s flooding and mudslides continue to impact CUPE members, our workplaces and our communities. As part of the province’s emergency response, a state-of-emergency has been declared that includes restrictions on travel and fuel. Non-essential travel along severely damaged highways is restricted. There is also a 30-litre limit to retail fuel purchases in southwestern B.C. More information on the state-of-emergency and provincial restriction orders is available on the BC government website.

The 30-litre purchase limit per visit applies to all essential and non-essential workers in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver to Hope), Sea to Sky (Squamish to Pemberton), Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands, and Vancouver Island.

The Ministry of Education is prioritizing keeping students and staff safe and maintaining in-class instruction. Given restrictions on travel and fuel purchases, however, the Ministry is encouraging school districts to have workers who can work from home during the state-of-emergency. Districts are also encouraged to defer all meetings and events that can’t be held virtually. School districts directly impacted by non-essential travel restrictions and road closures are working to find alternate transport options to reduce traffic, such as inter-region shuttle busses.

School district vehicles, such as buses, are exempt from the 30-litre limit. Branded vehicles that need to purchase retail fuel will be able to do so. Unbranded school district vehicles will require a letter of certification to purchase retail fuel beyond the 30-litre limit (these letters will be issued by school districts shortly).

All workers that continue to work in schools and other K-12 system workplaces in southwest B.C. are encouraged to carpool, use public transportation or other alternate transport options whenever possible.

The Ministry of Education has prepared a Q&A on the impact of the fuel and travel restrictions on the K-12 system,   and online at bcschools.cupe.ca.

CUPE BC Disaster Relief Fund

CUPE BC has established a Disaster Relief Fund to support CUPE members impacted by the recent catastrophic floods and mudslides.

Any CUPE members in B.C. experiencing hardship due to recent floods are invited to apply for CUPE BC funding support through their Local.

All CUPE Locals and District Councils in B.C. are encouraged to contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund if they are able.

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Bulletin – Help us build support for public childcare!

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The provincial government is committed to $10 per day childcare, a model CUPE strongly supports and advocates for. The federal government is committing significant resources supporting childcare for kids aged 0-5, but what’s missing is new spaces for school-aged kids.

CUPE BC began our childcare campaign advocating for the Seamless Day model of early learning childcare, and that advocacy has resulted in more than 20 pilot projects currently underway in schools around the province. (Here’s more about the work we’ve been doing.)

The federal government recently announced a significant investment in childcare for kids aged 0-5, and that’s good news, but it doesn’t do anything for one of the most critical childcare shortages—spaces for school-aged kids (ages 5-12). People all over B.C. struggle to find affordable quality childcare for before and after school—and even if they can afford it, they often have to go to great lengths to get their kids to and from care.

Wouldn’t it be great if before and after school childcare was available at the school? Doesn’t that just make sense?

The most efficient and cost-effective way to get quality, accessible and universal school-aged childcare up and running quickly is to create spaces in public schools.

We have the facilities already—there’s almost no need for capital expenditures or construction.

We have the trained staff available—qualified Education Assistants already are in place, and most don’t currently receive full-time hours.

For parents, it couldn’t be more efficient—drop your kids at school in the morning and pick them up at the end of the day. No more running to multiple locations or juggling competing schedules.

And for kids this means high quality care with more stability and fewer transitions through their day – this is especially important for some children with special needs for whom these transitions can be very difficult.

Here’s how you can help

We’re asking supporters of our vision of public childcare to visit PublicChildcareNow.ca and take 20 seconds to send an email to your local School Trustees asking them to advocate for their district to get on board.

We’ve already made significant progress toward building a public childcare system. Let’s keep the momentum going, and together we can make public childcare for school-aged kids a reality in B.C. schools.

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Bulletin – SSIRRE support staff survey

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Chance at prizes for K-12 CUPE members that participate

The Support Staff Initiative for Recruitment and Retention Enhancement (SSIRRE) is asking CUPE members to participate in a short online survey gathering information about recruitment and retention for support staff in the public education system.

The results of this survey will be shared with both the support staff unions and the school employers to inform collective bargaining in 2022.

This survey is not to be confused with the CUPE K-12 bargaining survey. Both are important to participate in – the bargaining survey will be coming soon.

The SSIRRE is a joint project of the BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) and CUPE and the Support Staff Union’s K-12 Presidents Council.

The survey is anonymous, takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and respondents can enter a draw for cash prizes.

There will be 42 draw prizes, on the following schedule. The earlier you complete the survey, the better your chance to win a prize.

If you choose to participate in the draw and provide valid contact information, you will be entered one (1) time into each draw that happens subsequently on this schedule:

– November 17: 6 prizes of $200 each

– November 24: 12 prizes of $100 each

– December 1: 24 prizes of $50 each

Participants will only be eligible to win one draw. Winner’s names will also be used for the purposes of promoting the survey during the remainder of the survey period. Your name in the draw cannot be connected with your survey responses.

The survey closes December 1. You will receive several reminders to complete the survey, but your participation is voluntary.

The survey can be accessed here: https://survey.alchemer-ca.com/s3/50130903/SSIRRE-Support-Staff-Survey

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