College staff locals serve notice to bargain

BURNABY—CUPE locals in the CUPE Colleges Bargaining Council (CCBC) have served notice for local bargaining with their employers.

The council includes five CUPE locals that represent more than 2,000 staff at Camosun College (CUPE 2081), College of the Rockies (CUPE 2773), College of New Caledonia (CUPE 4951), North Island College (CUPE 3479) and Vancouver Island University (CUPE 1858).

Workers covered by these agreements provide important services at colleges and universities across the province, including maintenance, administrative support, custodial support, food services, horticulture, child care, teaching assistance, IT services/technical support and library services. They also staff print shops and book stores on campus.

Collective agreements for these locals expire on or before June 30, 2010.

CUPE’s B.C. college sector coordinator Ian McLean says that locals are ready to bargain. “We look forward to meeting with employers and engaging in respectful and productive discussions. Our goal is to achieve collective agreements that meet the needs of all parties, so that we continue to effectively support our college and university communities.”

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