Bargaining

In March 2010, 8 of the 10 locals that make up CUPE’s Universities Coordinated Bargaining Committee (UCBC) served notice to bargain. The other two followed shortly thereafter.

The UCBC meets regularly to remain coordinated, share progress, and monitor the status of bargaining in other education sectors and provincial unions.

BURNABY—The members of CUPE 3338-5 that work for the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) have ratified a new agreement. The agreement was reached on Friday October 7, 2011 with the assistance of a mediator. Now that both parties have voted in favour of ratification, the lockout is over and staff are back at work. The lockout began on July 10, 2011.

The new three-year agreement protects the wages and job security of all current staff and includes a 1 per cent increase in the third year.

BURNABY—Today marks day 78 of the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) lockout at SFU. It is also the day the SFU community learned that the SFSS Board of Directors quietly voted to double their compensation with the money saved by locking out their own staff.

SURREY – An expanded picket line by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, as part of the ongoing labour dispute with the Simon Fraser Student Society, is up at SFU Surrey (SFU Surrey Mezzanine, 250-13450 102 Avenue), starting at 830am today. CUPE is asking students, staff, and faculty to respect the picket lines and refuse to cross them. Check Twitter @CUPEsfu and #SFUlockout for updates.

Background

For 74 days, the CUPE Local 3338 members that work for SFU’s student society have been locked out by their employer.

BURNABY—CUPE hosted a rally yesterday, attended by hundreds of people to support the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) staff, members of CUPE Local 3338. The staff have been locked out by their employer since July 10.

The rally brought together students, supporters and CUPE members from across the Lower Mainland.

BURNABY—In a last-minute effort to end its ongoing labour dispute, the Simon Fraser Student Society proposed a deal that would grandfather the wages of current staff, but would gut their employees’ collective agreement with pay reductions of up to 40% for future employees. That means $13 per hour for some employees, well below the region’s living wage.  In addition, the Board of Directors made it clear that they want to reduce the number of permanent staff positions.

The proposal also included a signing bonus for each member.

BURNABY—Since the lockout began on Sunday, July 10, the Simon Fraser Student Society Board of Directors has been busy trying to encourage students to cross pickets lines, do union work and sell off the “saved wages” as free booze and pancakes. CUPE members need to mobilize and tell these student politicians to end their ideological lockout. Read CUPE’s original release.

For more information:

Lockout ended Oct.

BURNABY—As the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) lockout of CUPE Local 3338 staff entered its second week, CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill and secretary-treasurer Mark Hancock met with members on the picket line Tuesday to offer support and hear their important stories.

CUPE BC President Barry O'Neill listens to the SFU Women's Centre Coordinator, Nadine Chambers, discuss the impact of the SFSS lockout.“The SFSS staff are a passionate group of professionals who care about SFU students and the entire univer

BURNABY—CUPE local 3338 at Simon Fraser University has been in negotiations for two years to arrive at a fair settlement for the 15 full-time and 5 term/student CUPE staff that support SFU students within the Simon Fraser Student Society.

In what can only be interpreted as an ideological move against the union, the Simon Fraser Student Society Board of Directors, led by new president Jeff McCann, broke off mediation and then served their staff with a 72 hour lockout notice.

Terry Allen, Michelle Waite, Colleen Garbe and Lois Rugg.VANCOUVER—CUPE college and university bargaining committees met this week with the chair of the CUPE K-12 Presidents’ Council to talk issues and strategy.