A substitute teacher in Nelson says she should have received sick pay after contracting COVID-19.

April Lavine tested positive for the virus on Jan. 17. She isn香蕉视频直播檛 sure where she was infected, but the week prior she was working at two local schools while full-time teachers were away with COVID-19.

While full-time teachers are eligible to accrue 1.5 days per month of paid sick days under the current collective bargaining agreement, substitute teachers like Lavine aren香蕉视频直播檛. That meant she was forced to stay home recovering from COVID-19 at her own cost.

Substitutes, or Teachers Teaching On-Call (TTOC) as they are also referred to, can apply for Employment Insurance, but that only covers up to a maximum amount of $638 per week.

They are also excluded from the , which this month made it mandatory for employers to provide a minimum of five days sick pay to workers.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 just so unfortunate because what you can get from EI is like half the amount what you could make if you香蕉视频直播檙e relying on work to make a living,香蕉视频直播� said Lavine. 香蕉视频直播淚t doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make sense to me.香蕉视频直播�

BC Teachers香蕉视频直播� Federation (BCTF) president Teri Mooring agrees with Lavine and believes the Ministry of Education needs to reconsider the importance of substitute teachers, especially as COVID-19 leads to functional closures across the province.

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire July 1. Mooring said the issue will be included in upcoming negotiations with the province.

香蕉视频直播淲e have a huge shortage of TTOC across the entire province and the work just isn香蕉视频直播檛 valued like we would like to see it valued, especially when we are so dependent on the few TTOC that we have right now,香蕉视频直播� said Mooring.

BCTF represents about 46,000 employees. Mooring couldn香蕉视频直播檛 say how many of those are TTOC, but did say she believed there is a shortage in the province that is leading to several issues in schools.

Some school districts, Mooring said, are relying on retired teachers when no substitutes are available. Others are asking counsellors or education assistants to fill in.

香蕉视频直播淲hen TTOC aren香蕉视频直播檛 available, there香蕉视频直播檚 a profound impact on student learning, and it香蕉视频直播檚 the most vulnerable students who are the most negatively impacted.香蕉视频直播�

Dispatch systems that contact substitutes also vary across school districts. Trish Smillie, superintendent for School District 8 that includes Nelson and Creston area schools, declined to provide details on the district香蕉视频直播檚 system but did say being sick doesn香蕉视频直播檛 impact when substitutes get their next call for work.

But without sick pay, Lavine said the system leads to a moral quandary for substitutes 香蕉视频直播� risk going to work while they are still potentially contagious, or stay home and lose money.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 just no motivation to stay home when we香蕉视频直播檙e sick.香蕉视频直播�

Mooring characterizes the situation as 香蕉视频直播渘either fair nor equitable.香蕉视频直播� If substitute teachers are risking their health to keep classrooms open, she said, that should mean they are eligible for the same benefits full-time teachers receives.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 difficult to attract people to be TTOC when they don香蕉视频直播檛 have the same rights as other teachers, and one of those rights certainly, we believe, ought to be access to sick leave. Especially during a pandemic.香蕉视频直播�

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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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