CUPE Local 2081, the union representing Camosun College support staff, will be taking part in more job action this week, according to a CUPE news release. However, unlike last week’s picket lines, this job action will not affect students.
“We value our students and we encourage them to contact their MLAs to join us in demanding fairness for colleges equal to the treatment given universities in BC,” CUPE BE colleges coordinator Ian McLean said in the news release.
The job action this week at Camosun consists of a Friday rally outside of MLA Ida Chong’s office (3930 Shelbourne) at 11:30 am. Camosun support staff will be bused to and from the rally, says CUPE Local 2081 vice president Tony Nelson.
“This Friday is to show the government that we haven’t gone away quietly into the good night after last week’s job action protests,” says Nelson. “We know the students support us and to keep them supporting us we felt this was the least evasive action that would affect them.”
Nelson says that provincial bargaining is happening this weekend in Vancouver and he’s hoping a deal will be reached. If not, he says that they’ll assess their situation at that point.
“That doesn’t preclude any further job action,” says Nelson. “We are in a strike mandate until this agreement is concluded.”
Nelson says that the union, who are being supported in their job action by the Camosun College Student Society, is just looking for a fair settlement.
“We want the same deal that was given to universities,” he says.
As well as Camosun, job actions are planned at Vancouver Island University, North Island College, College of New Caledonia, Vancouver Community College, and College of the Rockies this week.
A full story on the strike is in our current issue.
More news to come.