Special loan available for some striking teachers
Posted August 29, 2014 8:19 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – For struggling teachers in Vancouver, who have gone months without a paycheque, there is some aid available.
The Vancouver Secondary Teachers’ Association is offering a special loan to some of its 1,500 members.
President Debbie Pawluk tells us they have the option to apply for a forgivable loan. “If someone is really struggling financially, they can apply for financial assistance up to a maximum of $500.”
The group sets aside money each year as part of a member relief fund. Pawluk says they have already given out over $20,000 in both forgivable loans and gift cards, mostly in June.
Since the office was closed over the summer, she expects to be hearing from a lot of members who need help over the next few weeks.
“If we get back to work next week, that means they’ll get a cheque in the middle of September and they’ll be fine. But if we don’t get back to work, I am anticipating that we’ll see a real spike in terms of member need.”
The gift cards are for $50, $100, and $200 to local grocery stores.
Of the over $20,000 it has given to members since June, Pawluk tells us almost 70 per cent has been in the form of gift cards; the remainder was for forgivable loans.
She points out says this loan service has been around for a long time, but it primarily gets used during job action.
