Nearly half of B.C. teachers say they don't feel safe at work, survey from union suggests
With the COVID-19 pandemic well into its fourth wave in B.C., a survey of teachers in the province suggests nearly half don't feel safe at work.
Results from a poll conducted by the B.C. Teachers' Federation surveyed nearly 6,000 union members. While about 46 per cent indicated they feel at least somewhat safe at work, 42 per cent said they did not.
The survey also revealed 51 per cent didn't think the health-and-safety measures in schools are adequate to keep everyone safe.
"Given the near impossibility of physical distancing in most B.C. classrooms, other safety measures become even more important. Masks are now mandated for all (kindergarten to Grade 12) students and adults working in schools," a summary of the survey's results says.
"However, 53 per cent of teachers feel that the frequency of cleaning/sanitation in schools is inadequate for helping reduce the spread of COVID-19."
More than 80 per cent of teachers surveyed also indicated they felt their mental health has worsened throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the pandemic began, teachers have frequently called for stronger COVID-19 measures. Even when B.C. extended its mask mandate to younger grades, the BCTF's president said those rules should have been implemented a lot sooner.
The union has also called for more transparent data on school exposures, but the BCTF's survey revealed 71 per cent still feel they don't get adequate information about COVID-10 cases in their own workplace.
Additionally, the union's asked for a province-wide vaccine mandate for staff, rather than one that's implemented by individual districts.
"Any vaccine mandate would need to be provincially implemented and done equitably. We can’t have unequal treatment of workers in the public education system," Teri Mooring, BCTF's president, said earlier this month.
The BCTF said its random-sample survey was completed among 5,996 active members between Sept. 22 and Oct. 11. The margin of error is plus or minus 1.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.