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One of UBC’s largest support staff unions, CUPE Local 116, representing trades, maintenance, food services and support workers is taking a strike vote beginning today, March 15, 2006.

The local bargaining committee and executive, fed up with the protracted, stilted bargaining process that has been going nowhere for university support staff and instructors at universities right across the province have decided to join other locals in demonstrating to employers that they will fight for fair and equitable contracts. CUPE Local 116 has been attempting to negotiate a contract with their UBC employer, for almost a year.

On the heels of strong strike votes at the University of Victoria (support staff locals 917 and 951) and a strong strike mandate from the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) at SFU, the CUPE Local 116 bargaining committee is asking members to vote yes to strike should the bargaining situation not improve soon.

The entire University sector of support staff, instructors, teaching assistants, trades, maintenance and service workers have been working extremely hard to negotiate contracts with the help of mediators,” said Connie Credico, CUPE national servicing representative and bargaining co-ordinator for the university sector.

The union bargaining committees, from universities across BC, have been at the BC Labour Relations Board since March 7th trying to convince employers to stay at the table and negotiate.

Sixty representatives of 11 bargaining units representing 12,000 university workers on every campus in the province are fed up with the treatment they have been receiving from their employers. Credico continued, “The temperature is rising.”

Results of CUPE 116’s strike vote, which will run over two days, are expected Thursday night.

Contact:

Connie Credico, CUPE National Representative 604-209-7308

Louise Leclair, Communications Representative 778-838-0699

Visit: www.cupebargains.ca for more news about CUPE university bargaining