awe.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      support
      stati
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Daliah
      Merzaban
     
     
      The
      Ubyssey
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Note:
      “This
      past
      Monday”
     
     
      in
      copy
      refers
      to
      January
      31
     
    
   
   
    
     
      VANCOUVER
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      After
      more
      than
      a
      year
      of
     
     
      negotiations
      and
      a
      one-day
     
     
      strike
      this
      past
      Monday,
     
     
      support
      staff
      at
      British
     
     
      major
     
     
      universities
      have
      reached
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Columbia’s
      four
     
     
      contract
      agreement
      with
     
     
      their
     
     
      administrations.
     
    

    
     
      Canadian
      Unionof
     
     
      Public
      Employees
      (CUPE)
     
     
      support
      staff
      locals
      at
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      British
     
     
      Columbia
      (UBC),
      Simon
     
     
      Fraser
      University,
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Victoria
      and
     
     
      the
      University
      of
      Northern
     
     
      British
      Columbia
      went
      on
     
     
      strike
      on
      Monday,
      slowing
     
     
      down
      traffic
      and
      disrupting
     
    
   
   
    
     
      respective
     
    
   
   
    
     
      classes.
     
    

    
     
      But
      although
      the
     
     
      strike
      was
      short
      its
      impact
     
     
      was
      significant.
     
    

    
     
      John
      Geppert,
     
     
      president
      of
      CUPE
      Local
     
     
      116,
      one
      of
      UBC’s
      two
     
     
      support
      staff
      locals,
      believes
     
     
      Monday’s
      escalated
      job
     
     
      pressured
      the
     
     
      universities
      to
      expedite
      a
     
     
      settlement.
      He
      explained
     
     
      that
     
     
      until
      a
      full
      strike
      was
     
     
      declared
      at
      midnight
      on
     
     
      Sunday,
      the
      negotiations
     
     
      faced
      an
      impasse.
     
    

    
     
      The
      half-day
      of
      job
     
     
      action
      ended
      when
      support
     
     
      staff
      formally
      agreed
      to
      a
     
     
      settlement
      at
      the
      BC
     
     
      Labour,Relations
      Board.
      A
     
    
   
   
    
     
      action
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      special
      mediator
      had
      been
     
     
      appointed
      two
      weeks
      ago
     
     
      to
      help
      seven
      BC
      locals
     
     
      resolve
      provincial
      issues
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Tm
      extremely
     
     
      happy
      that
      we’ve
      finally
     
     
      put
      some
      closure
      to
      this.
     
     
      There
      were
      compromises
     
     
      made,
      but
      it’s
      a
      satisfactory
     
     
      settlement,”
      said
      Geppert.
     
    

    
     
      Local
      2278,
      UBC’s
     
     
      teaching
      assistants’
      union,
     
     
      was
      also
      in
      negotiations
      on
     
     
      Monday,
      and
      managed
      to
     
     
      achieve
      salary
      protection
     
     
      and
      a
      meaningful
      benefits
     
     
      package.
     
    

    
     
      All
     
    
   
   
    
     
      contracts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wages
      and
      benefits
      con
      -
      negotiated,
      with
      the
     
     
      rrently.
      universities
     
     
      must
      still
     
     
      “I
      think
      b
      e
     
     
      a
      fact
      We
      wamt
      to
      let
      ratified
     
     
      that
      we
      rc
      "
     
     
      vee
      MELLEL
      sets
     
     
      vis
      TELA
      ee
      ‘heunion
     
     
      Oo.
      wea
      :
      and
      the
     
     
      See
      CTL
      AAT
      LES
      Public
     
     
      ri
      t
     
     
      ee
      Fe
      Rot
     
     
      midnight
      Council.
     
     
      told
      the
      Nathan
      Allen
     
     
      universities
      UBC’
      s
     
     
      to
      try
      to
      Associate
     
     
      come
      to
      Director
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      collective
      agreement,”
     
     
      said
      Geppert.
     
    

    
     
      He
      explained
      that
     
     
      after
      27
      straight
      hours
      of
     
     
      bargaining,
      the
      CUPE
      locals
     
     
      and
      the
      universities
      were
     
     
      able
     
     
      satisfactory
      agreement
      on
     
     
      wages
      and
      benefits.
     
    

    
     
      Geppert
      cited
     
     
      increased
      gender
      equity
     
     
      funding
      for
      all
      employee
     
     
      positions
      as
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      benefits
      of
      the
      agreement.
     
     
      He
      also
      named
      a
      deal
      that
     
     
      would
      give
      universities
     
     
      provincial
      funding
      to
     
     
      purchase
      bulk
      benefits
      at
      a
     
     
      reduced
      cost
      as
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      key
      achievements.
     
    

    
     
      CUPE
      was
      trying
     
     
      to
      supplement
      strict
     
     
      government
      wage
      increase
     
     
      guidelines
      with
      value-added
     
     
      benefits.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      KIS
      s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      work
      out
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wrunrisvog
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fn
      cathe
      Sat
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WUG1
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      Public
      Affairs
      Paula
     
     
      Martin
      said
      the
      University
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      satisfied
      with
      the
     
     
      agreement.
     
    

    
     
      “We're
      pleased
      that
     
     
      it
      was
      with
      minimal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      disruption
      to
      the
      students
     
     
      of
      the
      campus
      and
      other
     
     
      employees
      on
      campus,”
      she
     
     
      said.
     
    

    
     
      UBC
      -
      students
     
     
      coming
      to
      school
      by
      bus
     
     
      were
      dropped
      off
      far
      before
     
     
      picket-lines
      -
      located
      at
      17
     
     
      entrances
      to
      campus
      -
     
     
      forcing
      them
      to
      walk
     
     
      long
      distances
      to
      get
      to
     
     
      their
      early
      morning
      classes.
     
     
      Blockades
      also
      backed
      up
     
     
      traffic,
      leading
      some
     
     
      drivers
      to
      force
      their
     
     
      way
      into
      the
      picketing
     
     
      crowd.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Be
      UBC’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      strike,
      policy,:,
      professors
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ATA
     
    
   
   
    
     
      must
      respect
      the
      right
      of
     
     
      students
      not
      to
      cross
      picket
     
     
      lines.
     
    

    
     
      Martin,
      however,
     
     
      said
      that
      the
      majority
      of
     
     
      students
      crossed
      the
      lines
     
     
      anyway.
     
     
      “We've
      only
      heard
     
     
      ofa
      handful
      of
      classes
      [that]
     
     
      were
      not
      available
      to
     
     
      students,”
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      UBC
      campus
     
     
      facilities
      run
      by
      CUPE
     
     
      workers
      saw
      reduced
      hours,
     
     
      but
      did
      not
      close
      down.
      At
     
     
      Totem
      Park,
      Place
      Vanier,
     
     
      the
      Bookstore
      and
      the
     
     
      libraries,
      managers
      took
     
     
      over
      for
      the
      striking
     
     
      workers.
     
    

    
     
      But
      many
      students
     
     
      did
      stay
      home,
      and
      others
     
     
      could
      be
      found
      on
      the
     
     
      picket
      lines
      as
      they
      picketed
     
    

    
     
      -on
      the
      corner
      of
      University
     
     
      Boulevard
      and
      Wesbrook
     
     
      Mall.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      want
      to
      let
      the
     
     
      university
      know
      that
      this
     
     
      strike
      concerns
      us
      all,”
      said
     
     
      Nathan
      Allen,
      a
      Student
     
     
      for
      Fair
      Treatment
      member
     
     
      and
      the
      Alma
      Mater
      Society
     
     
      (AMS)
      co-ordinator
      of
     
     
      external
      affairs.
     
    

    
     
      The
      AMS
      had
     
     
      previously
      established
      an
     
     
      advocacy
      office
      to
      ensure
     
     
      the
      university
      strike
      policy
     
     
      is
      upheld.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      faculty
     
     
      members
      also
      respected
     
     
      picket
      Charles
     
     
      Menzies,
      a
      professor
      in
     
     
      the
      department
      of
     
     
      Anthropology
      and
     
     
      Sociology,
      emphasised
      the
     
     
      importance
      of
      supporting
     
     
      picket
      lines
      on
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      He
      said__
      the
     
     
      underlying
      issues
      of
      pay
     
     
      equity
      and
      employment
     
     
      equity
      affect
      workers
      at
      all
     
     
      levels
      of
      the
      university,
      and
     
     
      have
      a
      direct
      bearing
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lines:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sducation,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      quiet,
      unpopular
      stu
     
     
      who
      felt
      out
      of
      place
      in
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      did
      not
      know
      where
      to
      tu
     
     
      last
      month
      when
      she
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      portrays
      Sorkomova
      asa
     
    
   
   
    
     
      strange
      culture,
      and
      who