Union asking to pause P.E.I.'s respite care programs in schools

The union that represents school education support staff on P.E.I. is asking the province to put a pause on the respite care programs in schools when conditions are not safe. 

Respite care is in place at schools to help students who have special needs, and who generally use education support staff when in-person school is in session. 

CUPE Local 3260, which represents the workers who do this work, said the employees it represents are not being provided with appropriate personal protective equipment. 

"We are very proud of the program and we believe in it, and it's very valuable to our students,"  said Carolyn Vandaele, CUPE Local 3260 President. "But safety protocols have to be followed. We cannot social distance from our students, and some of our children cannot wear masks." 

She said some of the members of the union had only received all the protective equipment needed yesterday, and she believes some at other schools may not have received what they need yet. 

Vandaele would like to see teachers, and students who can wear them, get shields, eye goggles and masks during the program. 

The union is also asking the province to stop programming when there have been COVID cases in specific workplaces.

"We really feel that if there are safety concerns, then the program should be shut down, those concerns addressed before the program is started back up again," she said.  

The union represents more than 800 educational assistants, youth service workers, workplace assistants, student attendants and educational language interpreters on P.E.I. 

"We see the cases, numbers go up every day in the media," she said. "We know how transmissible this new variant is, so we are very concerned for our safety."

CBC News has reached out to the province on this story, but did not hear back by the time of publication.