Media Releases >
Media Releases Archive
> SFU Prepares for exams despite growing labour disruption
SFU Prepares for exams despite growing labour disruption
Document Tools
April 2, 2003
Simon Fraser University remains open despite the mass withdrawal of services by unionized clerical and technical staff at SFU's Burnaby Mountain and Harbour Centre campuses. SFU's Surrey campus is not being picketed today.
CUPE local 3338, representing approximately 750 employees, has escalated job action at a critical time for students as they prepare for exams set to start on April 7. SFU's trimester operations are particularly vulnerable to strike action because of the impact on summer registrations and new student admissions for the fall semester. "If job action continues," says university spokesperson Kathryn Aberle, "there will be major problems for exams, recording grades and graduating as many as 3,500 students at Spring Convocation."
CUPE has called for arbitration, as has SFU's Poly Party union that represents building trades workers on campus. Last week, Poly Party failed to ratify a settlement offer from the university.
In a meeting this morning, the Employee Relations Committee of SFU's Board of Governors unanimously decided against the arbitration request. Board Chair Brandt Louie said, "We believe there is still a good deal of room for the parties to negotiate. We are committed to collective bargaining and we have asked the unions to return immediately to the table to consider an improved offer from the university. It is the Board's highest priority to avoid further disruption to students."
Although arbitration was approved at UBC during the recently legislated cooling-off period, conditions at SFU and UBC are significantly different.
All parties to the dispute at SFU must operate within the negotiating mandate provided for the public sector and the university believes that the best place to resolve issues is at the bargaining table. According to Aberle, "We agree with a recent statement by the President of CUPE 3338 when she expressed a preference for 'a simple but fairly negotiated settlement.'"
- 30 -
Contact:
Kathryn Aberle, 604.291.3929, aberle@sfu.ca
Gregg Macdonald, 604.291.4661, gregg_macdonald@sfu.ca
CUPE local 3338, representing approximately 750 employees, has escalated job action at a critical time for students as they prepare for exams set to start on April 7. SFU's trimester operations are particularly vulnerable to strike action because of the impact on summer registrations and new student admissions for the fall semester. "If job action continues," says university spokesperson Kathryn Aberle, "there will be major problems for exams, recording grades and graduating as many as 3,500 students at Spring Convocation."
CUPE has called for arbitration, as has SFU's Poly Party union that represents building trades workers on campus. Last week, Poly Party failed to ratify a settlement offer from the university.
In a meeting this morning, the Employee Relations Committee of SFU's Board of Governors unanimously decided against the arbitration request. Board Chair Brandt Louie said, "We believe there is still a good deal of room for the parties to negotiate. We are committed to collective bargaining and we have asked the unions to return immediately to the table to consider an improved offer from the university. It is the Board's highest priority to avoid further disruption to students."
Although arbitration was approved at UBC during the recently legislated cooling-off period, conditions at SFU and UBC are significantly different.
All parties to the dispute at SFU must operate within the negotiating mandate provided for the public sector and the university believes that the best place to resolve issues is at the bargaining table. According to Aberle, "We agree with a recent statement by the President of CUPE 3338 when she expressed a preference for 'a simple but fairly negotiated settlement.'"
- 30 -
Contact:
Kathryn Aberle, 604.291.3929, aberle@sfu.ca
Gregg Macdonald, 604.291.4661, gregg_macdonald@sfu.ca