BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Tuesday evening, members of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association met their deadline to vote on their return to an in-person learning plan.
The memorandum between BCSD and BETA was accepted.
This means they will get COVID vaccinations for all staff, the district will be providing PPE and staff will get a $1,000 stipend for the rest of the school year.
Tuesday was the deadline for members of the Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association to cast their votes on this deal.
Union members and district officials met Thursday and Friday and announced a tentative memorandum of understanding. That opened it up to union members to vote on the deal.
“It’s not just for the teachers’ safety and the staffs’ safety: Our students live in the most vulnerable zip codes and the hardest hit zip codes in Kern County, and there’s not a single employee that wants to be responsible for bringing in a virus to a child.” Steve Comstock Jr. the President of The Bakersfield Elementary Teachers Association told 23ABC. “While they’re (children) not as susceptible to it, they can still be carriers, and their families have been really hard hit.”
Education
BCSD finalizing in-person learning details with union
Comstock said BETA wants to make sure all teachers and staff who want to get vaccinated before returning, have that opportunity. About 80 percent of their members surveyed want to get the vaccine.
“‘We’re just asking for as much for as much safety as possible, and the district has been really willing to work with us on that,” Comstock said. “We’re really appreciative.”
