CUPE says picket lines going up at UBC and SFU

Outside Metro Vancouver, Canadian Union of Public Employees members will also be picketing today (October 4) at the University of Victoria, Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, and the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George.

According to a CUPE news release, over 12,000 support workers are taking job action at the five postsecondary institutions—and Royal Roads University in Victoria may be next.

CUPE locals at the five schools facing picket lines are in a legal strike position after serving 72-hour strike notice on October 1 or earlier (in the case of UVic).

"The strike action comes after two and a half years of fruitless negotiations without a single new contract signed. The main issues are job security, inflation protection and a fair and reasonable wage increase," the CUPE release says.

At UBC, CUPE 116 members will be "taking out plant operations" and marching at 11:45 a.m. to a rally at 12:45 p.m. outside the Student Union Building.

"Whether or not there is job action on the Vancouver campus, UBC remains open and will provide as normal operations as possible. Students should assume classes are going on during job action. They are expected to attend scheduled classes, labs and exams. Faculty and staff who are not part of job action are also expected to come to work," a bulletin posted by UBC states.

CUPE 3338 members at SFU plan to institute an overtime ban and withdraw services from and picket the Maggie Benston Centre and W.A.C. Bennett Library. They'll stage a "silent picket" in the Convocation Mall, starting at noon.

"Job action currently takes the form of an overtime ban and does not affect classes at any of SFU's three campuses," says a labour update posted by SFU.

Meanwhile, CUPE 3799 members aim to shut down the entire Prince George campus at UNBC.

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