Vaccine mandate for B.C. teachers should be done provincially, not by school district: union president
The president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation is speaking out against the province's assertion that vaccine mandates for educators aren't its responsibility but up to school districts.
In a statement released Friday, Teri Mooring said the BCTF doesn't oppose a vaccine mandate for kindergarten to Grade 12 workers, as long as privacy rights are protected and medical exemptions are accommodated.
"The BCTF will not be standing against a mandate," Mooring's statement said. "It's the right thing to do at this stage in the pandemic."
The statement was released days after the province added employees of the B.C. Public Service Agency to the list of workers who will soon be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Teachers, however, aren't under such a mandate.
"The districts are the employers," Premier John Horgan said in a news conference Thursday. "We are the funder, to be sure, but there is a dual relationship here between (school board) trustees and the government."
Mooring said it's "become clear" to the BCTF "that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate is likely to come to the public education system" and encouraged teachers and staff to get vaccinated now if they can.
But Mooring said she takes issue with the province's position.
"At this point, I am very concerned that a potential vaccine mandate could be implemented district-by-district, employer-by-employer," she said. "That’s the wrong approach. 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."
Mooring explained the provincial health officer hasn't issued a public health order forcing districts to mandate vaccines. In the meantime, the BCTF said it'll speak to the province and the BC Public School Employers' Association to ensure a vaccine mandate is rolled out fairly, if one comes. Mooring said she wants to be sure employees who refuse to get vaccinated "are treated fairly."
"However, to be clear, we don’t know what the consequences would be and neither does your local union. If you are not vaccinated and do not have a legitimate exemption, you should start planning now to get the vaccine," Mooring said.
"It could potentially affect your pay, your benefits, and even your pension. We just don’t know at this point and we may be limited in what we can do to help you."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.