VANCOUVER—Members of CUPE Local 1004 and the Pacific National Exhibition have reached a tentative collective agreement.  A ratification vote will be held in the coming weeks.

The CUPE 1004 bargaining team will be recommending acceptance of a three-year deal with wage increases of 1.5 per cent in each of the three years.

SURREY – An expanded picket line by the Canadian Union of Public Employees, as part of the ongoing labour dispute with the Simon Fraser Student Society, is up at SFU Surrey (SFU Surrey Mezzanine, 250-13450 102 Avenue), starting at 830am today. CUPE is asking students, staff, and faculty to respect the picket lines and refuse to cross them. Check Twitter @CUPEsfu and #SFUlockout for updates.

Background

For 74 days, the CUPE Local 3338 members that work for SFU’s student society have been locked out by their employer.

VANCOUVER—The flags had barely been rolled up and the placards put down this morning, after the country’s final boisterous solidarity rally in support of Air Canada’s 6,800 flight attendants, when an agreement in principle was reached between the airline and the union, represented by CUPE’s Air Canada Component.

The tentative deal—which ends the threat of a strike that had been looming over Air Canada in recent weeks—was reached early this afternoon (Tuesday) after flight attendants held rallies in Montreal,

BURNABY—CUPE hosted a rally yesterday, attended by hundreds of people to support the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) staff, members of CUPE Local 3338. The staff have been locked out by their employer since July 10.

The rally brought together students, supporters and CUPE members from across the Lower Mainland.

ABBOTSFORD – Calls for public disclosure on plans to privatize Abbotsford’s drinking water supply for the next 25 years were met with a stony silence from the Mayor and Council Monday.

There were no kudos, comments, questions, or answers from Mayor George Peary and his Council on any of the comments and concerns raised by Water Watch Mission-Abbotsford in a 10-minute presentation.

VANCOUVER—CUPE workers at the Pacific National Exhibition have given their bargaining committee an overwhelming 92-per-cent strike mandate.  The vote was taken Sept 12-13.

CUPE 1004 Business Agent Steve Varty says the result reflects the frustration that a deal has not been reached.  This is the first time in 25 years an agreement was not signed before the Fair. 

Contract talks broke down between the PNE and CUPE Local 1004 three weeks ago, but more talks have now been scheduled for next week.  The workers have been without a contract since Jan.

CAMPBELL RIVER—CUPE members working for the City of Campbell River have voted 88.3 per cent in favour of strike action.

CUPE 401 Campbell River Unit president Blaine Gurrie reports that of the 161 permanent and auxiliary employees, 137 members came out to vote this week on whether they should strike.

“This is a very strong signal of member support for our bargaining committee,” says Gurrie, adding that the workers have been without a contract since Dec.

BURNABY—In a last-minute effort to end its ongoing labour dispute, the Simon Fraser Student Society proposed a deal that would grandfather the wages of current staff, but would gut their employees’ collective agreement with pay reductions of up to 40% for future employees. That means $13 per hour for some employees, well below the region’s living wage.  In addition, the Board of Directors made it clear that they want to reduce the number of permanent staff positions.

The proposal also included a signing bonus for each member.

BURNABY—Since the lockout began on Sunday, July 10, the Simon Fraser Student Society Board of Directors has been busy trying to encourage students to cross pickets lines, do union work and sell off the “saved wages” as free booze and pancakes. CUPE members need to mobilize and tell these student politicians to end their ideological lockout. Read CUPE’s original release.

For more information:

Lockout ended Oct.

BURNABY—The Community Social Services Bargaining Association (CSSBA) today released the Comprehensive Report and the detailed language changes in the tentative settlement.