January 5, 2000, Vancouver, BC Union representatives of staff at four BC universitiesUBC, UVIC, UNBC and SFU held a media conference today to announce their action plans and recommendations for resolving labour disputes that have been ongoing in the university sector since the beginning of the academic yearSeptember 1999.
Connie Credico, CUPE National Representative announced to media representatives and others today at 10:00 a.m. that the unions are calling upon the government to appoint a special mediator to help the unions and management conclude a fair agreement after months of negotiations have failed to do so.
Credico, backed by the union presidents of the CUPE locals from the four universities, read from a letter to Professor Jago, of the University of Northern British Columbia, who chairs the University Employers Group. In the letter the union is asking the employers to support the call for a special mediator.
Finally CUPE has made it clear that failure to reach a settlement in the university sector by January 19 will mean a significant increase in job action at each of the campuses.
“Everyone will agree,” said Credico, “that our actions to date have minimized the impacts on students. Weve done that to prove clearly that disrupting students lives is the absolutely last resort. Weve now reached a point where last resorts are close to being necessary.”
Information:
Connie Credico, National Representative & University Coordinator
Tel: 604-209-7308