CUPE: Will Western Students Find Picket Lines When They Arrive on Campus?

LONDON, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Western University students may find picket lines on move-in day, after negotiations between the institution and its caretaking, landscape services and trades workers were unable to reach an agreement.

Following a frustrating day of negotiations aided by a ministry-appointed conciliation officer, the workers, represented by CUPE Local 2361, filed for a “no board” report, setting the clock ticking to a potential strike or lockout at the end of the month.

“This isn’t where we want to be. We want to be taking care of our students, of our campus,” said Chris Yates, vice-president of CUPE 2361 and an electrician. “Western has a staffing crisis and it’s only going to get worse with wages failing to keep up with the cost of living and with nearby employers.”

The workers have been without a contract since June 30.

An employee survey shows that nearly two-thirds of the CUPE members have to work a second or third job to make ends meet, and one-third are already actively seeking employment elsewhere.

Without serious improvements to compensation, benefits and staffing levels, Western will not be able to provide a world-class learning and research environment, said Gordon Ritchie, a plumber and secretary-treasurer of the local. Average home prices in London have increased by 50 percent in the last five years, and employers like nearby Fanshawe College are paying $5-7 per hour more for the same work.

“We’re pretty devoted to the students on campus, and it shows in the thank-you notes they send us. In a lot of cases, we’re the only adults the students encounter who have the same first language. We’re more than caretakers, landscape service workers and tradespeople, we’re part of a caring community,” said Alan Grainger, a union steward and lead caretaker. “We’re also parents who have to pay the rent and feed our kids, and that’s getting harder to do each year. The university needs to understand the realities we face.”

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