[Chad]

CUPE Decides To Go Back To Table And Not Block Traffic

UPDATE AS OF 1:30PM - A deal was not reached at the table, and striking has resumed.

"The union and employer agree to meet at 9:30am this morning, and although the administration arrived more than an hour late, we still engaged with them in discussions at the bargaining table...

...In summary, they tabled no modifications to their proposal, and informed the union that their current offer will "expire" at 12:01am on Tuesday, November 10.

As of Noon today, full picket lines have resumed, and will be running as normal for the remainer of the day and throughout the week.

CUPE 3906's bargaining team is writing this message from the bargaining table, and we will stay here and attempt to bargain a better offer for members for as long as they are willing. "




Via CUPE:

...This morning [the University] contacted us again, with a modified position. They are willing to meet with us at the table if we pull back the pickets and agree to allow traffic to continue through the lines. The pickets would remain with all signs, leafleting activities, and we would remain on strike. The moment that talks break down, it is understood that the barricades will go back up.

After some quick but serious discussion, the bargaining team decided to give the decision to the lines. It is, after all, our members out on the lines that are supporting us that have pressured the University to come back to the table and we work at the direction of our members. The lines have unanimously sent us back to the table.

The strike is still on. Picket lines are still up, although they are not stopping traffic, and members are still protected by all strike regulations and will still receive strike pay. ...

Full e-mail in first reply below.

[Chad]

Dear members;

As you know, late last night we received a message from the University indicating that they would be willing to meet with us only on the condition that we call off the strike. Particularly as there was no indication from them at that time that they had any intention of changing their offer, we reaffirmed that we would come back to the table ? and were eager to ? but that we could not in good conscience call of the strike.

This morning they contacted us again, with a modified position. They are willing to meet with us at the table if we pull back the pickets and agree to allow traffic to continue through the lines. The pickets would remain with all signs, leafleting activities, and we would remain on strike. The moment that talks break down, it is understood that the barricades will go back up.

After some quick but serious discussion, the bargaining team decided to give the decision to the lines. It is, after all, our members out on the lines that are supporting us that have pressured the University to come back to the table and we work at the direction of our members. The lines have unanimously sent us back to the table.

The strike is still on. Picket lines are still up, although they are not stopping traffic, and members are still protected by all strike regulations and will still receive strike pay. You should still show up to your picket shifts, and it is more important than ever that people come out today! The pressure is working to move a deal forward, let?s keep it up! When you arrive, you will receive instructions as to how to carry out the pickets. Your bargaining team is back at the table, working hard to come to a fair collective agreement. The struggle is still ongoing, but we are strong and have every confidence that these changes are positive!

We wanted to sincerely thank all members who have come out to the lines in support of the strike ? it is because of you that these advances are possible!

Keep your eyes on the blog for updates, and we will send you another message as soon as we can.

In solidarity,

Your Bargaining Team

Above is the full e-mail.

[DannyV]

My god, every time I read something written by a union activist it reminds me of what I used to read when communism was still in power in my country of origin.

Solidarity comrades!

[Taunton]

Originally Posted by DannyV

My god, every time I read something written by a union activist it reminds me of what I used to read when communism was still in power in my country of origin.

Solidarity comrades!

That's what it all is... pure propaganda!

I like how they're emphasizing "letting our members decide" after it has been pointed out that they haven't been very democratic in this whole process.

So far the pickets are weak... it's still early, but as I expected, there's not much support for CUPE.

[sycoman]

pickets? what pickets? Can some one tell me where they are, i havent been following up on the strike lately.

[sew12]

Originally Posted by Taunton

I like how they're emphasizing "letting our members decide" after it has been pointed out that they haven't been very democratic in this whole process.

This is what I was going to say.

What they say about bargaining makes them look like babies too. The minute talks break down the barricades go back up sounds like, the minute they say something we don't like we go crying back to mommy.

How does this not stopping traffic thing affect buses (HSR and GO) who have now been instructed to stop on the street rather than come into campus?

This could get very confusing if CUPE starts bargaining again, then stops, then starts again every time they don't like the way the talks are going.

I just want to know where I need to catch by GO bus tomorrow after I finish classes. Although its obviously too early to ask now because who knows what the status of the strike will be tomorrow at 5:40 pm.

[Jake]

ok so are GO Buses now going pick people up at the normal location or the new one?

[Taunton]

Originally Posted by Jake

ok so are GO Buses now going pick people up at the normal location or the new one?

Assume that it's at the new location until the strike is officially over.

[Kathy2]

So they just asked the people on the picket lines if they wanted to put the strike on hold and go back to the tables? Isn't that something that ALL union members should have been able to have a say in, even if they didn't happen to be picketing at that exact moment ..?

[DannyV]

Originally Posted by Kathy2

So they just asked the people on the picket lines if they wanted to put the strike on hold and go back to the tables? Isn't that something that ALL union members should have been able to have a say in, even if they didn't happen to be picketing at that exact moment ..?

The strike is still on, the pickets are not blocking traffic though.

[person33]

just heard through the spec and chch news that talks have broken down again and that pickets are again stopping traffic

[Marlowe]

Originally Posted by DannyV

My god, every time I read something written by a union activist it reminds me of what I used to read when communism was still in power in my country of origin.

Solidarity comrades!

I really thought you were going to comment on the awkward sentence structures they always seem to use.

[sew12]

Originally Posted by person33

just heard through the spec and chch news that talks have broken down again and that pickets are again stopping traffic

Shocking...not.

We don't like what you're saying so we're not going to talk to you.

Seriously, this is bs. Keep talking until you get the friggin' issue worked out, none of this back and forth crap. The longer the union goes back and forth and back and forth the longer this strike hinders the education of thousands of students. If you don't like the way the bargaining is going keep trying harder to get what you want, how is leaving the table going to get you what you want?

The goal here is obviously to make the University cave and give into their demands but it just sounds really whiny to say if talks break down well we're just not going to talk to go and go back out and block students from getting to school in a timely fashion. Ha ha.

The only people this strike is hurting are students. The University administration already has our money for this year. We're the ones losing out, not them.

[Afzal]

whoa wait...what in hell is Strike-pay?!

[DannyV]

What some / many people don't realize is that while on strike, picketers get paid, albeit it is usually a smaller amount than they would usually receive.

Also, it would seem, once the "labour action" is resolved, they get back pay.