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Strike Impairs Student Visas

Nicole Halseth
News Editor

Acecrs to an article on the PressIV “Canada’s striking foreign service
workers are to shut down all its services at the country’s 15 largest visa

processing centers abroad, following a failed attempt to go to arbitration to
settle a wage dispute with the government.” This process, an escalation of
pre-existing strike action, officially began on 29 July and will affect embassies
in Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Beijing, Cairo, Delhi/Chandigarh, Hong Kong, London,
Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Faris, Riyadh, Sao Paulo and Shanghai, where
Foreign Services workers have pledged to withdraw all services. According
to the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO), “the
government of Canada bears sole and complete responsibility for these
impacts.”

The strike began in April to protest what PAFSO believes to be an unfair

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distribution of wages, as the union believes that Foreign Services workers IT S SMART To SAVE
inside of Canada receive anywhere between $3000 and $14,000 more

than Canadian counterparts working abroad. The strike escalated on July 26

after PAFSO attempted and failed fo establish proper arbitration with Stephen ‘@) ]

Harper's administration regarding these wage disparities. oO O Wi

Prior to this arbitration, Treasury Board President Tony Clement insisted on

several conditions that the union would have to meet before any agreement

could be reached. This included barring mention of other civil workers who uU en ar

do similar work from the arbitration process. However, as this forms the basis

of the wage disparity issue at the heart of PAFSO's complaints, they were
unable to agree to this condition. Furthermore, according to a statement

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their acceptance would have predetermined the outcome of arbitration in the body jewellery i in Northern BC!

released by the union, some of these preconditions were “so paralyzing that

government's favor and negated the purpose and integrity of the process.”

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The suspension of all services in the visa centers listed above has already bl & lif t | °
had numerous negative effects, notably in the areas of tourism and education. wearabies 1res ry e accessories

Students around the world have been forced to withdraw from their

educational institutions within Canada, and tourists have been forced to : Band Merchandise . Belts and Buckles
cancel their trips, due to complications with the visa process and in some -T'g and Hoodies - Purges and Wallets
on tourism to boost their local economies, and international students form a - Anime and Wigs ° Rings and Watches
solid proportion of the total student base in Canada, these withdrawals and

cancellations have the potential to hit very hard in the upcoming year. AND '@) MUCH MORE!

If this wage dispute is not resolved by the fall, other civil workers represented
by five other unions, such as prison guards and border guards, are planning Z e
to take similar actions. This may affect Prince George in the next few months. Black Shee G [ fts
UNBC has likely already felt these effects, due to complications in the pe
visa process, which may have hindered or discouraged some of UNBC’'s . °

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fell before the escalation of this action, it may have a greater impact in the www.blacksheepgifts.com 250-564-4303
January semester. However, further escalation would likely result in broader S| Text FLOCK to 31100 to enter our contest!
setbacks to daily life in our city. Only time will tell.

cases, the complete inability to receive one at all. As so many communities rely

international student population. Even if it has not yet had a substantial impact
on UNBC students, as the application deadline for international students