Strike may threaten semester for students

By Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 16, 2005


The six-week-old strike that has affected BCIT and community colleges around the province appears to be headed towards a make-or-break point.

Both the BCIT Student Association and the faculty and staff association waded into the debacle this week with press releases announcing they are seeking a quick end to the dispute, which has already seen four days' worth of classes cancelled.

Kevin Wainwright, president of the faculty association, told the media on Monday night that some students may see their entire semester cancelled if the pickets return again.

"I'm worried that we are in danger in many of the programs of losing the semester," Wainwright told the CBC. "I think that, outside BCIT, there may be a perception that this rotating strike is doing minimal damage. In fact, for the intense types of programs at BCIT, this is not the case."

The possible loss of the semester arises because some BCIT programs offer compressed schedules for working students, meaning there are fewer classes, making it more difficult to make up for classes that are cancelled due to the strike.

On Thursday, BCIT Student Association president Erin Smith issued a press release asking students to speak up on the issue.

"We're not telling students what to believe," Smith said in a press release. "Our focus remains on assisting our students to articulate their concerns from whatever perspective they may have."

Burnaby-Willingdon MLA John Nuraney also waded into the debate last Thursday when he issued a press release that called on Labour Minister Graham Bruce to "defend the interests of BCIT students." Speaking in the legislature, Bruce said he would step in if "the two parties" ask for his intervention.

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union, which has been without a collective agreement since June 30, 2002, began its rotating strikes Jan. 7.

In addition to the class cancellations, BCIT has cancelled several course information sessions and an awards ceremony and postponed the spring convocation ceremony, originally set for Feb. 17.

"All the information is being posted on our website," said BCIT spokesperson Michael Becker. "Those students who were originally scheduled to attend in February will now be in the June convocation ceremonies, which are traditionally the larger one."

George Heyman, president of the union, said some administrators have seen salary increases upwards of 40 per cent. The union, which represents 600 support workers at BCIT, is seeking a seven per cent pay boost in a new four-year agreement.