Precarious working conditions, job security top issues: CUPE
With more than 90 per cent in favour, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 4163 component 3 members voted on Aug. 1 to endorse job action at the University of Victoria (UVic).
The Local has been bargaining with the employer for five months and are frustrated with the lack of progress at the bargaining table. This strike vote by component 3 is the first ever in their 20-year history, says the union.
One of the main issues is the low pay and precarious working conditions that impact student experience at UVic and the amount of support they receive, according to CUPE.
“We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement at the bargaining table and avert any strike or job action in September,” says Greg Melnechuk, CUPE 4163 president. “Most of the measures we are asking for are at little or no cost to the university.”
Proposals at issue involve basic job-security measures that other universities and colleges already have, says Melnechuk.
CUPE 4163 component 3 represents about 450 sessional lecturers and music performance instructors at the University of Victoria. They teach 30 per cent of all university students at UVic, says the union.
The local and employer are expected to return to the bargaining table on Aug. 8, says CUPE.
“We are committed to working towards a negotiated resolution that fairly addresses the course-by-course precarious working conditions for our members, who are trying to do their best for students,” says Melnechuk.
