CUPE and TSSU withdraw services from all three campuses
By Graham Cook
Job action at Simon Fraser University has continued this week, as the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3338 and the Teaching Support Staff Union attempt to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the University.
The biggest example of this was the complete withdrawal of services from all three SFU campuses by both the CUPE Local and the TSSU on Wednesday, Nov. 7. The move was one of the most major from the TSSU since their positive strike vote last summer, and led to hundreds of classes being cancelled.
Remarks made on SFU’s official Facebook page regarding last Wednesday’s picket lines were generally conflicting. Laura Anderson commented, “Please come to an agreement soon. Having principles is hurting me academically despite your general policy.” Others were not as interested in pleading, such as David Shen, who identified himself as a “Reaserch [sic] Associate” at Alectos Therapeutic and an SFU Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics graduate, posted on the page (edited for numerous typos), “I don’t even work at SFU, it is just nonsense to block the people who work at Discovery Park. If CUPE does it again, I will do it A Team Style . . . the bottom line is they can set themselves on fire or just play guitar on the grass, but no one should block the public road and parking lot that belongs to the students and the people who work . . . up there or people who live up there. It just makes the public angry.”
CUPE Local 3338’s business agent John Bannister also commented on the action to The Peak, stating, “We thought it went very well. Us and TSSU were out there in force, and a lot of people either stayed away or respected our picket lines.” On the issue of whether or not students are supporting their actions, Bannister said, “I think some are, some obviously are not. I think maybe some of it is they don’t understand the issues and I’m sure final exams are something that is more pressing on their mind.”
One incident that came to light was a video uploaded to YouTube on Thursday ,Nov. 8 under the account “SFUScabFinder,” showing SFU Senior Lecturer Anthony Leyland allegedly attempting to park his car in a parking lot being picketed. In the video, an altercation ensues as Leyland requests to pass through and not to be filmed; both requests were denied. Comments on the original video, which has since been removed, alleged that TSSU spokesperson Derek Sahota was the one who uploaded the video.
However, Sahota spoke to The Peak and, while he confirmed that he was the one filming the altercation, he was not the one who uploaded it onto the Internet. He claimed that he had left his camera behind, and someone else took it upon himself or herself to put it onto YouTube. Sahota added that “We think that overall the day went . . . well, in terms of not having any serious injuries or anything.” He also stated that he could, “confirm that there was one police report filed with someone who was hit early in the morning at B Lot, and there was a second police report filed on an incident later, and there was one paramedic called as well.”
An open letter signed by SFU faculty members also circulated around the SFU community. The document stated their solidarity with the TSSU and CUPE in “their struggle for better working conditions.” Over 60 professors and lecturers from a variety of departments at the university signed it.
