By Canadian Press

B.C. teachers appeal to labour board over COVID-19 classroom concerns

Sep 18, 2020 | 11:04 AM

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Teachers Federation is asking the Labour Relations Board to address its concerns about health and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Documents filed with the board say the federation has heard from many of its members about “inconsistent and inadequate” health and safety precautions in schools.

The complaint says the protections do not meet what was promised by the provincial government over the summer about reopening schools.

The teachers have filed the submission under a section of the Labour Relations Code that allows the board to make settlement recommendations if disputes arise while a collective agreement is in force.

The federation urges the labour board to act on an “expedited basis” to resolve concerns that may cause teachers to “refuse to perform unsafe work” or file a “tsunami of grievances” about how school districts have implemented Ministry of Education policies.

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The ministry did not immediately respond with a comment.

The B.C. government announced in July that most students would go back to school full time in September. The ministry said Thursday that 85 per cent of kindergarten to Grade 12 students have returned.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2020

The Canadian Press