Starting at 11.30 this morning, UBC’s Vancouver campus could see job action by CUPE 116 – the union that represents over 2,000 trades, food services, student housing services, custodial workers, parking attendants, engineering technicians, research assistants, and campus security patrols.
Other CUPE locals are still bargaining with UBC and are not expected to launch job action at this time.
CUPE 2278 – representing mostly Teaching Assistants – has booked two mediation sessions next week. CUPE 2950 – representing mostly clerical staff – met with the university earlier this week. See bargaining updates.
Pickets at the UBC SUB are COPE members representing AMS staff, they are not UBC employees.
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.
Members of the university community are entitled to exercise a decision of conscience not to cross a legal picket line, but must provide notice in advance.
- Faculty and staff had to notify their head, manager or supervisor before Tuesday October 2nd at 11.30pm (seehttp://universitycounsel.ubc.ca/files/2010/08/policy64.pdf).
- Students should first read the Academic Position of Students in Case of a Strike (PDF). If job action commences on Thursday, Oct. 4, students must, before Tuesday October 9th at 11.30am, provide notice to the dean of the faculty offering their program (more information is available on the VP Students website).
Visit www.ubc.ca and follow @UBCNews on Twitter for UBC job action updates.
The University values all members of its community and recognizes the legitimacy of the bargaining process, which includes the option of job action. UBC members are asked to remember that the community will be working together again at the end of the present dispute. UBC’s statement on the respectful workplace is applicable during job action.
For media enquiries, please contact UBC Public Affairs Office
Lucie McNeill - lucie.mcneill@ubc.ca
Randy Schmidt - randy.schmidt@ubc.ca