Bargaining
CapilanoU Bargaining – Update #8
April 25, 2023
To: All MoveUP Members at CapilanoU
Today marks one month and five days since we received an overwhelming strike mandate from the membership regarding our outstanding issues at the bargaining table (you can read more about our strike vote and the results here, here and here).
The employer, without notice, filed for mediation assistance from the BC Labour Relations Board on April 11, 2023. As you all heard in our membership meeting on April 12, 2023, the employer retained who we consider to be a very anti-union law firm to file a relatively easy application at the board. This particular law firm proudly boasts that its areas of practice include “union avoidance” and “unfair labour practices” on its website, at a premium.
The employer continues to refuse to have a principal present at mediation, the reasoning behind their initial declination to participate in mediation before we declared impasse and pursued a strike vote. In good faith, and in the interest of attempting to resolve bargaining without job action, without interruption to student services, we agreed to move forward with mediation.
The union requested the assignment of Dave Schaub by the Labour Board to lead mediation, an experienced mediator that we’ve dealt with several times in the past, and the Board agreed to his assignment.
The union has requested twice to confirm dates with the employer, and these requests have either been met with radio silence or a broken commitment to respond. The mediator is now unavailable until May 2 to confirm dates, but we are hopeful we will be meeting in mid-May.
Despite the employer’s section 74 application and request to mediate, there’s nothing in the BC Labour Relations Code that precludes the parties from trying to reach an agreement themselves. On April 11, 2023, the union again tabled an amended settlement package to move the parties closer to the finish line. It’s now two weeks later and the employer has failed to respond.
We will continue to participate in the mediation process to attempt to resolve bargaining, but we are not hopeful that the employer is prepared to concede their position on our core mandate issues. Your bargaining committee will be at the main campus from May 1 to May 12, 2023 to finalize preparation on our job action calendar and finalizing our committee appointment.
More information will come shortly regarding next steps and how you can get involved.
Talk soon. In solidarity.
Your Bargaining Committee:
Darin Feist, Executive Councillor
Eric Roberts, Executive Councillor
Suzanne Perreault, Executive Councillor
Nathan Beausoleil, Union Representative
Christy Slusarenko, Vice-President of Combined Units