Hundreds of support staff in colleges from Victoria to Cranbrook took part Nov. 5 in a “Day of Disgust”. The CUPE members at five BC colleges were demonstrating their support for their bargaining committee, sending a clear message to their employers and the government-appointed employers’ association that they won’t tolerate further delays.
“We’re disgusted that it takes threats of mass strikes and college closures to have our concerns recognized,” says Pam Catsirelis, past president of Local 2773, representing support staff at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook. College staff are frustrated that individual college administrators can’t negotiate improvements in job security and benefits because of public sector wage controls.
At Camosun College, North Island College, Malaspina University College, University College of the Cariboo and College of the Rockies, workers expressed their disgust through marches, building closures, posters and ads. Occupation brings results