Douglas College closed as support staff strike Wednesday

VANCOUVER, Nov. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Support staff at Douglas College are going on strike on Wednesday November 14, 2012 in support of a fair and reasonable deal.

All classes and activities at the New Westminster campus for the day have been cancelled and will resume Thursday, November 15th. 

"Douglas College support staff deserve a fair and reasonable deal," said BCGEU President Darryl Walker. "The monetary offer on the table at Douglas College is half what support staff at other post secondary institutions such as UBC and SFU have settled for. That's unfair and it's not right."

There are 304 Douglas College support staff represented by the BCGEU. They work at registration, in IT services, as library assistants, at the bookstore, in student services, and offer financial aid to students.

Douglas College is the seventh largest post secondary institution in British Columbia, with 4,700 full-time and 10,000 part-time students.

Pickets will be along the Royal Avenue side and the 8th Street side of the New Westminster campus building.

On November 2nd, Douglas College support staff voted 77% in support of strike action to back their bargaining demands.

Douglas College support staff have been without a contract since June 30, 2010.

SOURCE: B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union

Media contact: Oliver Rohlfs, BCGEU Communications [phone] - [email protected]