BURNABY—The 24-hour strike at Simon Fraser University has pushed the employer to mediation with CUPE 3338 support workers. The two sides met yesterday and discussions are ongoing.
Morale was high on the picket lines as CUPE 3338 members were joined by CUPE National President Paul Moist, striking TSSU teaching assistants, Faculty Association members and BCGEU support pickets from the SFU daycare.
Moist pledged unflagging support for the 1,000 CUPE members at SFU and called on the administration to join the rest of BC’s universities which have all reach new collective agreements with their CUPE workers.
The National President Paul Moist and CUPE BC President Barry O’Neill were on hand for a noontime solidarity rally in downtown Vancouver with CUPE 3338 members at SFU Harbour Centre and Vancouver Community College CUPE 4627 members. Lots of CUPE 15, K-12 sector members and the VCC Faculty Association were on hand for support. Both locals have been without a contract for more than two years.
Back on Burnaby Mountain, SFU tried to stop the job action last night with an injunction forcing striking members to remove temporary barricades. The SFU administration applied for and was granted an “ex parte injunction” against the local last night while the 3338 bargaining team was trying to reach an agreement with that same administration using mediator Vince Ready.
Reports that some striking CUPE 3338 and TSSU members were hit by a car while others had their belongings run over have not been verified.
