Strike tomorrow at Vancouver Community College - another failure of the government's bargaining strategy

Second shutdown set for Wednesday, November 7th

VANCOUVER, Nov. 6, 2012 /CNW/ - The union for support staff at VCC, CUPE 4627 (www.cupe4627.com) have announced that they will strike VCC all day Wednesday.  This follows a complete one day shutdown on Tuesday, October 30^th.  Members of the VCC Faculty Association, a certified trade union, did not and will not cross picket lines.  The action this week resulted in a college closure and a complete shutdown of classes.

"After one complete shutdown last week, one would think that was enough to get bargaining back on track but we haven't heard of any progress at all," said VCC Faculty Association President Frank Cosco.

"We are worried that there will be another day of learning lost, and for what?  It's clear that a financial settlement pattern in the public sector up to 2014 has been set.  These VCC employees have been bargaining for two years.  They, like other public sector workers, did not strike because of the two zeros for the last two years.  But now, they see other settlements in post-secondary going up to 2014.  They legitimately ask, 'Why not us?'

"This government seems to have no strategy but to be punitive, pushing people to extremes.  It seems to have no concern that important services are threaten.

"The VCCFA calls on those responsible in for government to get to the bargaining table, to get creative or to get out of the way."

SOURCE: Vancouver Community College Faculty Association

Frank Cosco, 604.838.9428