Overview and Quick Reference of Benefits
CDTA is the local union representing teachers from Cranbrook as part of the BCTF. We are an autonomous local within an amalgamated District so we are also a part of the Cranbrook and Fernie Teachers’ Association (CFTA). The CDTA has around 200 full time teachers working in 12 different work sites in Cranbrook plus just over 100 Teachers Teaching on Call.
Who’s at the office:
Shelley Balfour: President
Connie Merz: Vice-President (Wednesdays only)
Pearl Singer: Office Manager
Hours of Operation:
The CDTA office is open 5 days a week. As president, I try to get to the office by about 8:00 am and try to stay until about 5:30 pm. Pearl works 15 hours per week and will usually be in the office on Mondays and Wednesdays and at various other times during the week. Connie works at the office on Wednesdays. You can always reach us by e-mail or the CDTA cell phone or through our website. I visit the school sites twice a week. The schedule for the visits should be posted in the staff room at each school or under upcoming events on this site.
Contact Information: (250) 489-3717 (office), (250) 421-2565 (cell), lp02@bctf.ca – email
WEBSITE: http://www.cranbrookdistrictteachersassociation.com
The CDTA website lists all the executive committee members, meetings and other important dates. It also has important information that needs to be conveyed to members, links to resources, and the odd funny joke. The website also has our Collective Agreement with the School District.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CDTA Executive 2020-2021
Table Officers:
Committee Chairs:
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES:
Every school should have one or more staff reps, depending on the size of the school. The staff rep attends the regular CDTA Executive Meeting to represent you and your fellow members at your school and then communicates information from the meetings to you. The staff rep is elected by the teaching staff at the school.
Your staff rep is also there to provide you with representation if you are asked to attend a meeting with your principal. Every member has the right to representation and cannot be denied that right. You can call the CDTA office if there any concerns and/or questions.
Here is the current list of Staff Reps:
Professional Development:
As a contract teacher or a TTOC you can access Pro-D funds to attend a professional development activity. You need to complete the Pro-D form found at each school or on this website. The form needs to be completed and sent to either the school site Pro D. Rep or the CDTA office for approval. The Pro D. Committee meets on the second Tuesday of every month so make sure your application is in on time. Pre-approval is required! Contract teachers can access up to $1250 (pro-rated to your fte) to cover expenses and release days every two years. TTOC’s can access $600 every two years. For activities and opportunities within our District, you can also access Staff Development Funds.
Pro D. Reps:
The CDTA also asks each staff to elect a representative to the Pro-D Committee. Here is a list of our current Pro.D. Reps at each school. Carol Johns (HES) and Colette Grasdal (MBSS) are the Pro D. Committee Co-Chairs for our Local.
Oren Gartside - Amy Woodland Elementary
Val Duchscherer - Gordon Terrace Elementary
Sheila O'Grady - Highlands Elementary
Deanna Boss - Kootenay Orchards Elementary
Randi Morrison - Pinewood Elementary
Jenny Puffer - Steeples Elementary
Victoria Jordan - T.M. Roberts Elementary
Tiffany Nyquist - Laurie Middle School
Kari Duffy - Parkland Middle School
Neil Hills/Colette Grasdal - Mount Baker Secondary School which includes the Kootenay Educational Services and KDS
______________________________________________________________________________________
HEALTH & SAFETY
Health and Safety Reps – Every site has either a Joint Health and Safety Committee or a Worker Rep that you can turn to with any health or safety issues. There is also a Health and Safety bulletin board at every worksite with information and the minutes of the H&S meetings.
Violent Incident Report - If you are involved in a violent incident you need to complete the district Violent Incident Report form. If you can’t find one at your school, you can find it on the district website or the CDTA website. Please send a copy to the CDTA Office, because we track them for the Health & Safety Chair. If you are injured you also need to follow the steps listed below for Worksafe.
WORKSAFE BC (formally WCB)
If you are injured at work or have symptoms of a work-related illness, you must:
Step 1: Report it to your employer immediately.
Step 2: Seek medical attention and tell your doctor your injury is work related. Your employer is responsible for your transportation costs from your workplace to a doctor’s office or hospital.
Step 3: Start a claim by reporting it to Worksafe BC as soon as possible. If you have missed work as a result of your injury, contact Teleclaim.
The Teleclaim Centre is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1 888 WORKERS (1 888 967-5377) or #5377 for Telus Mobility, Rogers, and Bell Mobility customers
(Taken directly from Worksafebc.ca)
You can check out www.worksafebc.ca for more information and all the forms.
4 Rights of Workers
Here are the current H&S Reps at each school site. Larry Dureski (HES/GTES) and Victoria Larsen (PMS) are the H&S Co-Chairs for our Local Executive:
Connie White -Amy Woodland Elementary
Larry Dureski - Gordon Terrace Elementary
Tanya Meijer/Jennifer McGovern - Highlands Elementary
Kim Lutz - Kootenay Orchards Elementary
Devlin Oestrich - Pinewood Elementary
Open - Steeples Elementary
Kathleen deCosse - T.M. Roberts Elementary
Mena Pocha - Laurie Middle School
Victoria Larsen - Parkland Middle School
Bob Madell/Ross Robertson/Connie Merz - Mount Baker Secondary School which includes the Kootenay Educational Services and KDS
______________________________________________________________________________________
SICK DAYS
As a full-time contract teacher you accumulate 15 sick days (1.5 days per month) per year which is loaded into your sick bank at the start of September. For part-timer employees these days are pro-rated as to your fte. If you’re sick and not able to go to work, you need to access the SRB system and book off under Article G. 11 (Sick/Medical) as soon as possible. You can also access sick days to attend medical appointments (i.e. dentist, specialists, etc).
If you run out of sick days you can apply for Salary Indemnity Plan (SIP) from the BCTF. The plan is operated by the BCTF Income Security Division. Your sick days must be used before you are eligible for SIP. If it looks like you will be away from work for a while and you anticipate using all of your sick days you should apply for SIP. Let the President know and we can arrange to have the SIP forms sent to you.
Some other possible leaves of absence charged to sick leave:
DISCRETIONARY LEAVE
You can apply for up to four days of paid personal leave per year under Article G.17. $420 will be deducted from your month end pay per day for the cost of the TTOC to replace you. You can also access 3 unpaid personal leave under Article G.5. Please read the Collective Agreement to find out the “rules” for these leaves.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CDTA Bulletin Board
There should be a CDTA Bulletin Board in the staffroom at every school. On the CDTA board should be local postings, BCTF postings and other important information, such as: pension seminars, Staff Alerts, etc.
______________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM
This is voluntary program that helps aid teachers who are missing work or having trouble maintaining their position due to a medical condition. They also help teachers return to work who have been off for medical reasons. If you are accepted in the BCTF Health and Wellness program, a professional Consultant will meet with you, consult with your health care providers, meet with the representatives from your local and school district to explore return to work options and help coordinate services during your return-to-work. Everything is completely confidential.
For more information please contact the CDTA Office or call the BCTF at 1-800-663-9163.
_________________________________________________________________________
Employee and Family Assistance program provided by FSEAP available to all employees and their families as follows:
The program is paid for by the school district, but your visit is totally confidential and the district does not receive any information on individuals calling the service. All employees have access to this service.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF ADVANTAGE
The BCTF has a program to provide savings to members in a number of areas. At the start the savings will be focused on travel and insurance. The program will be expanding over the next few years. One area that they are working on is providing a better interest rate for student loans. For more information follow this link: http://www.bctf.ca/advantage/
______________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF WEBSITE & PHONE NUMBER
The BCTF has an incredible variety of supports, services, and information for teachers.
You can call the BCTF at: 1-800-663-9163. The BCTF website is www.bctf.ca. The BCTF Lesson Aids have been replaced with the TeachBC section on the portal.
Members’ Only Portal – you can find the most current BCTF updates on the portal. To sign up, go to www.bctf.ca and click on the My Portal link. Follow the directions provided. You will need to know your BCTF member number. Call the CDTA office if you need your number.
______________________________________________________________________________________
PORTABILITY OF SICK LEAVE & SENIORITY
If you obtained a continuing contract at some point after September 2006, you are able to port up to 60 days of sick leave and up to10 years of seniority from another public school district in BC. If you did work in another district and have seniority and/or sick leave in that district, you need to have your previous district(s) complete the seniority & sick leave confirmation forms. Article G.1
______________________________________________________________________________________
PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN
As a contract teacher you are paid your annual salary over 10 months. One option you have to save for the summer is the District’s Payroll Savings Plan. You should have received a form from the Board Office asking if you would like to sign up for the savings plan. Payroll will deduct any amount that you want each month and those amounts will be divided by four and paid to you every two weeks during the summer months.
Another option for summer savings is Canada Saving Bonds. You need to complete the deduction forms from Payroll.
If you are interested in either of these options, call Michael Meinig, Teachers’ payroll, at the School Board Office.
______________________________________________________________________________________
IF IN DOUBT CALL THE CDTA OFFICE
Once again, if there is anything that you would like more information on, or have questions or concerns about, please don’t hesitate to call the CDTA Office at 250-489-3717 or the office cell at 250-421-2565. You can also contact us through email lp02@bctf.ca
Don’t forget that there should also be a staff rep at every school that can also assist you. There are also a number of CDTA Executive members at a variety of schools who can help. The list of executive members and the schools they work at are listed on the first page.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Check out these links for new teachers:
http://www.bctf.ca/NewTeachers.aspx
https://bctf.ca/PSAwebsites.aspx
www.bcecta.ca / www.facebook.com/bcecta / www.twitter.com/bcecta
CDTA is the local union representing teachers from Cranbrook as part of the BCTF. We are an autonomous local within an amalgamated District so we are also a part of the Cranbrook and Fernie Teachers’ Association (CFTA). The CDTA has around 200 full time teachers working in 12 different work sites in Cranbrook plus just over 100 Teachers Teaching on Call.
Who’s at the office:
Shelley Balfour: President
Connie Merz: Vice-President (Wednesdays only)
Pearl Singer: Office Manager
Hours of Operation:
The CDTA office is open 5 days a week. As president, I try to get to the office by about 8:00 am and try to stay until about 5:30 pm. Pearl works 15 hours per week and will usually be in the office on Mondays and Wednesdays and at various other times during the week. Connie works at the office on Wednesdays. You can always reach us by e-mail or the CDTA cell phone or through our website. I visit the school sites twice a week. The schedule for the visits should be posted in the staff room at each school or under upcoming events on this site.
Contact Information: (250) 489-3717 (office), (250) 421-2565 (cell), lp02@bctf.ca – email
WEBSITE: http://www.cranbrookdistrictteachersassociation.com
The CDTA website lists all the executive committee members, meetings and other important dates. It also has important information that needs to be conveyed to members, links to resources, and the odd funny joke. The website also has our Collective Agreement with the School District.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CDTA Executive 2020-2021
Table Officers:
- President: Shelley Balfour
- Vice-President: Connie Merz
- Treasurer: Larry Dureski
- Secretary: Orrin Hawke
- Local Representative: Connie Merz
- Alternate Local Rep: Shelley Balfour
Committee Chairs:
- Bargaining: Connie Merz
- Pro-D: Jennifer Doll (Elementary Rep), Colette Grasdal (Secondary Rep), Frances Kirkpatrick Pro D. Treasurer
- Health & Safety: Larry Dureski (Elementary Rep), Karen Bidder (Secondary Rep)
- Social Justice: Paul Matthews
- Aboriginal Educator Contact: Alison Dawson
- TTOC: Elizabeth Jakobsen
- Local Election Contact: Open
- Working & Learning Conditions: Connie Merz
- Beginning & New Teachers: Deleen Adams & Sylvie de Grandpre
- Social: Open
STAFF REPRESENTATIVES:
Every school should have one or more staff reps, depending on the size of the school. The staff rep attends the regular CDTA Executive Meeting to represent you and your fellow members at your school and then communicates information from the meetings to you. The staff rep is elected by the teaching staff at the school.
Your staff rep is also there to provide you with representation if you are asked to attend a meeting with your principal. Every member has the right to representation and cannot be denied that right. You can call the CDTA office if there any concerns and/or questions.
Here is the current list of Staff Reps:
- Kim Nielsen - Amy Woodland Elementary
- Joanna Popoff - Gordon Terrace Elementary
- Monica Vording & Heather Ackert - Highlands Elementary
- Carol Potter - Kootenay Orchards Elementary
- Kyla Barg - Pinewood Elementary
- Adam Stewart - Steeples Elementary
- Open - T.M. Roberts Elementary
- Leah Draper - Laurie Middle School
- Open - Parkland Middle School
- Wayne Walmsley - Mount Baker Secondary School which includes the Kootenay Educational Services and KDS
Professional Development:
As a contract teacher or a TTOC you can access Pro-D funds to attend a professional development activity. You need to complete the Pro-D form found at each school or on this website. The form needs to be completed and sent to either the school site Pro D. Rep or the CDTA office for approval. The Pro D. Committee meets on the second Tuesday of every month so make sure your application is in on time. Pre-approval is required! Contract teachers can access up to $1250 (pro-rated to your fte) to cover expenses and release days every two years. TTOC’s can access $600 every two years. For activities and opportunities within our District, you can also access Staff Development Funds.
Pro D. Reps:
The CDTA also asks each staff to elect a representative to the Pro-D Committee. Here is a list of our current Pro.D. Reps at each school. Carol Johns (HES) and Colette Grasdal (MBSS) are the Pro D. Committee Co-Chairs for our Local.
Oren Gartside - Amy Woodland Elementary
Val Duchscherer - Gordon Terrace Elementary
Sheila O'Grady - Highlands Elementary
Deanna Boss - Kootenay Orchards Elementary
Randi Morrison - Pinewood Elementary
Jenny Puffer - Steeples Elementary
Victoria Jordan - T.M. Roberts Elementary
Tiffany Nyquist - Laurie Middle School
Kari Duffy - Parkland Middle School
Neil Hills/Colette Grasdal - Mount Baker Secondary School which includes the Kootenay Educational Services and KDS
______________________________________________________________________________________
HEALTH & SAFETY
Health and Safety Reps – Every site has either a Joint Health and Safety Committee or a Worker Rep that you can turn to with any health or safety issues. There is also a Health and Safety bulletin board at every worksite with information and the minutes of the H&S meetings.
Violent Incident Report - If you are involved in a violent incident you need to complete the district Violent Incident Report form. If you can’t find one at your school, you can find it on the district website or the CDTA website. Please send a copy to the CDTA Office, because we track them for the Health & Safety Chair. If you are injured you also need to follow the steps listed below for Worksafe.
WORKSAFE BC (formally WCB)
If you are injured at work or have symptoms of a work-related illness, you must:
Step 1: Report it to your employer immediately.
Step 2: Seek medical attention and tell your doctor your injury is work related. Your employer is responsible for your transportation costs from your workplace to a doctor’s office or hospital.
Step 3: Start a claim by reporting it to Worksafe BC as soon as possible. If you have missed work as a result of your injury, contact Teleclaim.
The Teleclaim Centre is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1 888 WORKERS (1 888 967-5377) or #5377 for Telus Mobility, Rogers, and Bell Mobility customers
(Taken directly from Worksafebc.ca)
You can check out www.worksafebc.ca for more information and all the forms.
4 Rights of Workers
- The right to know (about any hazards or potential hazards in your work environment including volatile children)
- The right to participate (in the Health and Safety process)
- The right/responsibility to refuse unsafe work (this can be done on your or a colleague’s behalf)
- The right to no discrimination (for taking part in the Health and Safety process)
Here are the current H&S Reps at each school site. Larry Dureski (HES/GTES) and Victoria Larsen (PMS) are the H&S Co-Chairs for our Local Executive:
Connie White -Amy Woodland Elementary
Larry Dureski - Gordon Terrace Elementary
Tanya Meijer/Jennifer McGovern - Highlands Elementary
Kim Lutz - Kootenay Orchards Elementary
Devlin Oestrich - Pinewood Elementary
Open - Steeples Elementary
Kathleen deCosse - T.M. Roberts Elementary
Mena Pocha - Laurie Middle School
Victoria Larsen - Parkland Middle School
Bob Madell/Ross Robertson/Connie Merz - Mount Baker Secondary School which includes the Kootenay Educational Services and KDS
______________________________________________________________________________________
SICK DAYS
As a full-time contract teacher you accumulate 15 sick days (1.5 days per month) per year which is loaded into your sick bank at the start of September. For part-timer employees these days are pro-rated as to your fte. If you’re sick and not able to go to work, you need to access the SRB system and book off under Article G. 11 (Sick/Medical) as soon as possible. You can also access sick days to attend medical appointments (i.e. dentist, specialists, etc).
If you run out of sick days you can apply for Salary Indemnity Plan (SIP) from the BCTF. The plan is operated by the BCTF Income Security Division. Your sick days must be used before you are eligible for SIP. If it looks like you will be away from work for a while and you anticipate using all of your sick days you should apply for SIP. Let the President know and we can arrange to have the SIP forms sent to you.
Some other possible leaves of absence charged to sick leave:
- Emergency Leave for Family Illness, Article G.16 – up to 5 days a year for a call to the bedside of immediate family member or if you’re required to transport a member of your immediate family for emergency or special medical attention.
DISCRETIONARY LEAVE
You can apply for up to four days of paid personal leave per year under Article G.17. $420 will be deducted from your month end pay per day for the cost of the TTOC to replace you. You can also access 3 unpaid personal leave under Article G.5. Please read the Collective Agreement to find out the “rules” for these leaves.
______________________________________________________________________________________
CDTA Bulletin Board
There should be a CDTA Bulletin Board in the staffroom at every school. On the CDTA board should be local postings, BCTF postings and other important information, such as: pension seminars, Staff Alerts, etc.
______________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM
This is voluntary program that helps aid teachers who are missing work or having trouble maintaining their position due to a medical condition. They also help teachers return to work who have been off for medical reasons. If you are accepted in the BCTF Health and Wellness program, a professional Consultant will meet with you, consult with your health care providers, meet with the representatives from your local and school district to explore return to work options and help coordinate services during your return-to-work. Everything is completely confidential.
For more information please contact the CDTA Office or call the BCTF at 1-800-663-9163.
_________________________________________________________________________
Employee and Family Assistance program provided by FSEAP available to all employees and their families as follows:
- 24 hour immediate telephone counselling support
- personal short-term counselling
- health coaching legal consultation
- life coaching
- financial coaching and credit counselling
- career counselling
- nutritional counselling
- smoking cessation support
- family resource kits
- Assistance in Finding Child & Eldercare resources
- 24/7 access to Online Healthy and Wellness Resources
The program is paid for by the school district, but your visit is totally confidential and the district does not receive any information on individuals calling the service. All employees have access to this service.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF ADVANTAGE
The BCTF has a program to provide savings to members in a number of areas. At the start the savings will be focused on travel and insurance. The program will be expanding over the next few years. One area that they are working on is providing a better interest rate for student loans. For more information follow this link: http://www.bctf.ca/advantage/
______________________________________________________________________________________
BCTF WEBSITE & PHONE NUMBER
The BCTF has an incredible variety of supports, services, and information for teachers.
You can call the BCTF at: 1-800-663-9163. The BCTF website is www.bctf.ca. The BCTF Lesson Aids have been replaced with the TeachBC section on the portal.
Members’ Only Portal – you can find the most current BCTF updates on the portal. To sign up, go to www.bctf.ca and click on the My Portal link. Follow the directions provided. You will need to know your BCTF member number. Call the CDTA office if you need your number.
______________________________________________________________________________________
PORTABILITY OF SICK LEAVE & SENIORITY
If you obtained a continuing contract at some point after September 2006, you are able to port up to 60 days of sick leave and up to10 years of seniority from another public school district in BC. If you did work in another district and have seniority and/or sick leave in that district, you need to have your previous district(s) complete the seniority & sick leave confirmation forms. Article G.1
______________________________________________________________________________________
PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN
As a contract teacher you are paid your annual salary over 10 months. One option you have to save for the summer is the District’s Payroll Savings Plan. You should have received a form from the Board Office asking if you would like to sign up for the savings plan. Payroll will deduct any amount that you want each month and those amounts will be divided by four and paid to you every two weeks during the summer months.
Another option for summer savings is Canada Saving Bonds. You need to complete the deduction forms from Payroll.
If you are interested in either of these options, call Michael Meinig, Teachers’ payroll, at the School Board Office.
______________________________________________________________________________________
IF IN DOUBT CALL THE CDTA OFFICE
Once again, if there is anything that you would like more information on, or have questions or concerns about, please don’t hesitate to call the CDTA Office at 250-489-3717 or the office cell at 250-421-2565. You can also contact us through email lp02@bctf.ca
Don’t forget that there should also be a staff rep at every school that can also assist you. There are also a number of CDTA Executive members at a variety of schools who can help. The list of executive members and the schools they work at are listed on the first page.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Check out these links for new teachers:
http://www.bctf.ca/NewTeachers.aspx
https://bctf.ca/PSAwebsites.aspx
www.bcecta.ca / www.facebook.com/bcecta / www.twitter.com/bcecta