To All Child Care Professionals
 
 
In our last bulletin to you we remarked on the recent acknowledgement from Premier John Horgan and Minister of State for Child Care, Katrina Chen, about the critically important work you do. 

Unfortunately, it appears that the competing financial obligations of the provincial government meant that child care professionals were not included as recipients of the recently announced "pandemic pay". For information on this new program see https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020FIN0031-000907

Yesterday, we lobbied the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Shane Simpson, to ask the government to reconsider its position on providing pandemic pay to child care professionals. Today, your President, Stephanie Smith, who is also an early childhood educator, wrote to the Minister of Finance on your behalf to, again, implore government to reconsider including you as recipients of pandemic pay. You can see that letter here.

We know how important the role of child care professionals is to the social and economic recovery of this province in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We know that you are truly on the front lines providing critical support to parents and dedicated care to their children. And we will continue to lobby to ensure that you receive pandemic pay and the respect that you so deserve.
 
In solidarity,

Andrea Duncan,
Vice-President, Component 3

P.S.: Looking for additional resources on workplace health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit the OH&S section of the BCGEU COVID-19 Information Hub or information specific to the child care environment at: https://www.bcgeu.ca/covid_19_information_for_community_social_services_members.