Paid Sick Leave for Members in Part-Time Studies
January 20, 2022
Michael Conlon, Executive Director
Many of our members will have heard about the province’s recent announcement of five paid sick days for workers in BC. Not only is this extension of mandatory paid sick leave currently the highest number of sick days in a provincial mandate in the country, the legislation also notably includes part-time workers. Like many of you, we expected these new provisions to cover our members who work in BCIT’s Part-Time Studies (PTS) programs. This seemed very likely given that Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang was enthusiastically touting the new provisions on her Twitter feed.
Unfortunately, we were informed recently from BCIT that this provision does not, in fact, apply to members working solely in PTS on the basis that our current Collective Agreement “meets or exceeds” the Employment Standards Act (ESA). BCIT’s position is based on a technical reading of how the ESA defines “meeting or exceeding” current regulations in the ESA and we are seeking legal advice on next steps, including the prospect of launching a grievance.
It should be noted that other post-secondary institutions in the province received a similar notice with respect to their auxiliary workers and the wording used was very similar to the interpretation BCIT put forward to the FSA. This suggests that this interpretation is coming directly from the Post-Secondary Employers’ Association (PSEA).
We know this is dispiriting news, particularly for members who work solely in PTS, and yet – for us – serves as evidence of the province’s lack of commitment to fair treatment for part-time workers at BCIT – and across the public sector. However, rest assured that we will pursue all avenues available to us and, in the interim, are consulting with our provincial allies on this issue in the hopes of a different outcome. We will raise the issue with the BC Federation of Labour, and will keep you apprised of developments on this matter as it unfolds. In the meantime, I do want to remind our members that BCIT has extended the 3-days paid sick leave for all BCIT employees who are either ill as a result of COVID-19, or who have been advised to self-isolate by the health authority.