SFU's CUPE staff take strike vote

SFU’s CUPE staff take strike vote
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published Feb. 26, 2003

Picket lines could be up at Simon Fraser University as early as next week, if unionized clerical, technical and library workers vote in favour of strike action today.
John Bannister, business agent for CUPE Local 3338, representing about 800 non-teaching staff at the university, said his members are livid after being offered a zero per cent pay hike over three years while other staff at the university have been offered pay hikes of about two per cent.
A CUPE newsletter also indicates that the university wants to reduce the union benefit package by 1.85 per cent.
"It's a real fairness issue to us. This is not acceptable to us," said Bannister. "It may be that we have to put more pressure on the university and the government.
"We're good employees and we deserve fair compensation."
If the strike vote is approved, job action at the SFU campuses on Burnaby Mountain and in downtown Vancouver could begin as early as the weekend. Last year, SFU CUPE members voted 73 per cent in favour of joining a B.C.-wide campaign against the provincial government's restructuring plan.
"We'd be looking at job action in the reasonably near future," Bannister said. "The semester ends at the end of April, and there's no point in doing anything after that."
Bannister said wages for SFU CUPE staff are "generally far behind" municipal workers, with salaries in the $18 to $20 range, topping off at around $24 per hour.
Members of the SFU Poly Party - about 85 skilled tradespeople represented by nine different unions under one collective agreement - have already implemented an overtime ban after they voted in favour of strike action earlier this year. They include SFU painters, electricians, engineers and others.
Should CUPE vote in favour of a strike, the two unions are expected to coordinate their job action.
Reports in the SFU student newspaper The Peak indicate that that the student society offices, which are represented by CUPE staff, will close in the event of a strike and TransLink bus drivers are expected to refuse to cross picket lines, meaning buses may not travel up the hill.
Meanwhile, information on the SFU Web site indicates that the university intends to stay open in the event of a strike. "Course instructors are responsible for teaching their courses and students are responsible for fulfilling course requirements," said information on the Web site. "However, the university respects the right of students or course instructors, as a matter of conscience, to refuse to cross a picket line in a labour dispute."
85 skilled tradespeople represented by nine different unions under one collective agreement - have already implemented an overtime ban after they voted in favour of strike action earlier this year.
They include SFU painters, electricians, engineers and others.
Should CUPE vote in favour of a strike, the two unions are expected to coordinate their job action.
Reports in the SFU student newspaper The Peak indicate that that the student society offices, which are represented by CUPE staff, will close in the event of a strike and TransLink bus drivers are expected to refuse to cross picket lines, meaning buses may not travel up the hill.
Meanwhile, information on the SFU Web site indicates that the university intends to stay open in the event of a strike.
"Course instructors are responsible for teaching their courses and students are responsible for fulfilling course requirements," said information on the Web site.
"However, the university respects the right of students or course instructors, as a matter of conscience, to refuse to cross a picket line in a labour dispute."