Students at Vancouver Community College have the day off Monday thanks to job action from Union staff.
CUPE Local 4627 Spokesperson Jo Hansen anticipates job action for months to come, even though they are trying to ease the impact on students.
“We are trying to not hold those people hostage and that is a really different strategy for us. But we want to keep the students at the forefront and we are looking at teaming up with them to do some creative withdrawal of services.”
VCC Spokesperson Kate Chandler says students will have to make up school work another day.
“We are working to make sure the impact is minimal and to keep them well informed.”
The union wants a two year deal with two percent wage increases each year, the government is offering one and one.
Meanwhile, there will also be no classes for students at BCIT as unionized school workers take job action.
President of BCIT Faculty and Staff Association, Teresa Place says the government is offering less than their university counterparts.
Place says it has been four years since staff had a wage hike and soon it will take an impact on the schools ability to function.
“Our faculty and staff are falling further and further behind in wages and we are losing out. We can no longer attract faculty and keep them here at BCIT. That is going to affect the courses that BCIT will be able to offer in the future.”
She says unionized staff wants a two year deal with wage increases of two percent in each of the two years of the deal.
And after no movement at the bargaining table, Simon Fraser University’s Teaching Support Staff Union are launching a week of action.
The union says starting Monday at 8:30am there will be an “opening ceremony” in front of WAC Bennett Library.
Other action throughout the week will include teach-ins, protests and pickets.
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