Attn.: Labour, Education, City Editors
(Guelph) - Almost 300 staff at the University of Guelph could take job action by mid-November. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 1334 members voted 94% for strike action last night, to back their proposals for a new contract.
“We have made a series of modest proposals, says CUPE National Representative Tom Baker.
Working together with the university, the parties can hopefully get a new agreement before exam time,” he says.
Maintenance and Operations staff have been bargaining with the university since early this year. A provincial conciliator will meet with the parties next week to try to prevent job action.
The unions proposals include better job security and compensation. Key concerns include job duties and workload.
University efforts to split existing classifications and pay rates for staff are an issue at the bargaining table. The union also wants to address compensation for increased workloads.
For information:
Kirk Sprague, President, CUPE Local 1334
(519) 836-5470 (o)
Tom Baker, CUPE National Rep.
(519) 743-7781 (o), (905) 630-1107 (Cell)
<a href=”mailto”jmccracken@cupe.ca”>John McCracken, CUPE Communications Rep.
(416) 292-3999 (o)