Disgruntled School District 43 teachers took to Twitter Tuesday to air their displeasure over their first post-strike paycheques.
Members of the Coquitlam Teachers' Association are upset they didn't get paid for Sept. 19 - the day after members of the BC Teachers' Federation ratified their new contract and the day they went to school to sort out their classrooms and get ready for students, who arrived the following Monday.
CTA president Charley King said teachers were under the understanding they would get paid and not getting the cash is a blow, especially to those hit hard by days and pay lost to the strike.
SD43 secretary treasurer Mark Ferrari said teachers' monthly salary is calculated based on 20 days per month. Docked 13 days pay for strike days, that left them with seven days pay, Ferrari said, adding that while other districts might calculate salary differently, SD43 administration has no choice but to apply its collective agreement correctly and consistently.
He and assistant superintendent Patricia Gartland said they would work with the teachers' union to explain the situation.
But that explanation might not sit well with teachers rankled over their paycheques who say they were told they would get paid for working that Friday.
As one Tweet noted: "#SD43 gives no pay for #cta43 teachers. Happy World Teachers Day."
King said teachers are disappointed: "Teachers came in on good faith with a sense of good will to set up their classrooms," he said, adding that they did so on the understanding they would be paid for their work.
"I don't know why the decision was made but when people start arguing technicalities it sends a message to me there's a tone deafness going on," King said.
