Of the TDSB’s total 579 schools, a paltry 30 percent have central air. The rest only have cooling centres like libraries and gyms or smaller air conditioning units.
For schools without central air conditioning, working conditions and students’ learning conditions may be extremely challenging if not downright dangerous.
This is unacceptable.
ACTIONS:
- Members have the right under new Collective Agreement language, to use professional judgement in consultation with your Administrator to determine the best course of action to deal with heat stress issues .
- Check out the following information and steps you can take while at work.
- Tell us your story and upload pics of your classroom thermometer: What it’s like in your classroom (picture of your classroom thermometer, if windows open, if you’ve been given fans by the Board or if you’ve had to purchase them on your own), the impact on you and your students,
- Talk with your Administrator if you feel sick/have any signs of heat stress, fill out an Employee Report of Accident/injury and a Health and Safety Near Miss/Concern Form (both on the TDSB website under Health and Safety) and consider seeing your doctor.
- Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, you have the right to refuse unsafe work. As a Teacher, you must follow particular steps to exercise this right. For more information about work refusals, please reach out to your ETT Health and Inspector and check out the ETFO video here
