January 10, 2000 Over The Edge Page 3 Support Staff At UBC Go On Strike By Daliah Merzaban VANCOUVER (CUP) - Students at the University of British Columbia were blocked from entering the Koerner Library on campus last week by striking mem- bers of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). “This strike is about fair treat- ment for campus workers, fair treatment for students,” said Alex Grant, president of CUPE Local 2278, the teach- ing assistants’ union. “I think its a shame that students aren’t aware of all the con- . cerns that we have, and it would be nice if students were actually informed.” Since early December, CUPE Locals 116 and 2950 - which together represent over 3,000 campus support staff at UBC - have been in a legal strike position after negotiations with the University formally ended. Both locals, who have the support -of other labour groups on campus like Grant's TA union, have been negotiating with UBC since last January for contracts that expired on March 31, 1999. Last Wednesday morning, the two support staff Locals walked out in a rotating strike. Picket lines on University Boulevard blocked buses from entering the Student Union Building bus loop, forc- ing hundreds of students to walk over two kilometres to campus. Translink media relations official John Stuart said bus drivers are being asked to uphold the safety of their bus and passengers, which could include, he said, choosing not to enter an area of labour dis- pute. CUPE officials said transit drivers, who are also unionised, were respecting picket lines. Also on Wednesday, students who arrived early to campus to avoid long lineups at the - Bookstore were obstructed by picket lines that closed the store until 11:00 a.m. CUPE officials said Wednesday’s actions were designed to give a taste of the disruptions that could be caused by a campus-wide strike. “This just can’t go on any longer,’ said Connie Credico, CUPE national representa- tive, speaking of the prob- lems that the seven CUPE locals at_British Columbia’s four universities have faced in contract negotiations with their respective universities. “We're prepared to extend this as far as necessary,’ she added, emphasising _ that affecting students is a last resort. Meanwhile, on Thursday several CUPE locals were picketing Koerner Library. Although many — students respected the picket line and walked away, others were upset at how CUPE members handled students who wanted to cross the line. Some students walking away from the picket line complained that the workers were too aggressive, saying they booed and yelled “shame” at students who chose to cross the line. “| just don’t know what's going on,. said fourth-year Geography student Josephine Chiu, who walked away from the picket line after being confronted by CUPE workers. “I’m just intimidated. If | could cross it | would cross it” But CUPE workers defend- ed their tactics, saying they intended on giving students the option of crossing. “From my perspective, we're here to persuade, not to obstruct,’ said Local 116 President John Geppert. CUPE officials are demand- ing that the provincial govern- ment appoint a special medi- ator to assist the unions in ‘resolving important issues, including wages and value- added benefits. Credico gave a January 19 deadline for a province-wide mediator to be appointed and issues to be resolved. But UBC spokesperson Paula Martin said that the University does- nt see the need for a province-wide mediator since one was appointed for UBC in mid-December to address local issues. Martin added the university was caught off guard by this week’s job action. SoundSca Negotiations with UBC locals, she said, have been productive in the last — month because of the local mediator. CUPE officials, however, maintain that the university’s reluctance to deal with issues at a provincial level will only perpetuate the problem, and lead to more inconveniences in the near future. But CUPE members insist their intention is not to affect students negatively but to call attention to the unions’ cause. “Our idea is not to impact stu- dents in a detrimental way,’ said Trina Chambers, a mem- ber of Local 116 who works at the Bookstore. “This saves them from being inconve- nienced on a larger scale.” BC’s three other universities sent CUPE representatives to UBC to support the striking workers on Wednesday. Lynne Fowler, president of Local 3338 at Simon Fraser University, said that action at UBC applies to BC’s other Universities as well. “We are joining in solidarity with our brothers at UBC,’ she said.