Union extends pickets

Union extends pickets as SFU strikes continues
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published April 2, 2003

Picket lines are spreading across Simon Fraser University after the first day of contract talks wound up without a resolution to the week-old strike by about 800 clerical workers and non-teaching staff.
While pickets have surrounded the Strand Hall administrative offices for about a week, the union has now extended its picket lines to include the registrar's office inside the Maggie Benston Centre, plus the main entrance and bookstore at the downtown Harbour Centre campus.
"We will continue escalating job action until SFU agrees to our request for the appointment of a mediator/arbitrator," said the strike update notice posted early Tuesday morning on the CUPE 3338 Web site.
The union also said Monday that the university has locked out employees at the Harbour Centre bookstore.
University spokesperson Kathryn Aberle said employees are being asked to stay home in some instances.
"If an employee refuses to work at a non-picketed spot, they are being asked to leave the workplace," said Aberle, who added that some workers are refusing to accept communications from inside the struck buildings.
"The bookstore at Burnaby Mountain will also be closed today because employees there are declining to fulfill all the duties of their jobs," Aberle added.
Aberle said the university board of governors will meet today (April 2) to decide whether to accept the union's proposal to send the dispute to binding arbitration.
"We believe there are still things to talk about at the bargaining table," Aberle said.
A university press release said the strike is now putting the spring semester at risk and a continued escalation of picketing could disrupt final exams.