Canadian Labour Reporter

MARCH 17, 2014 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 Carleton University campus safety workers strike OTTAWA — Campus safety workers at Ot- tawa's Carleton University are on strike. "Our members are deeply disap- pointed that we are not able to reach an agreement with Carleton Univer- sity," said Ontario Public Service Em- ployees Union (OPSEU) negotiator Nel- son Ross Laguna. Some of the key issues leading to the labour action include job security and a lack of sufficient staffing to en- sure campus safety. While the university has grown from 20,000 students in 2007 to more than 30,000 students today, the union said the number of campus safety workers has not increased correspondingly. "Nobody wants a strike," said Ross Laguna, "but we will do what it takes to ensure the employer comes back to the table ready to negotiate a fair agreement with their campus safety workers." OPSEU Local 404 represents 50 cam- pus safety workers including special constables, dispatchers, campus safety officers and student safety patrollers. B.C. teachers vote overwhelmingly for job action VANCOUVER — Despite an overwhelming vote in favor of a strike, the British Co- lumbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) will return to the bargaining table. The recent vote saw 26,051 members vote for job action, giving the union an 89 per cent strike mandate. The 41,000 teachers represented by BCTF have been without a contract since June 2013, de- spite more than 40 sessions at the table and a full year of bargaining. Wages, class size and class composi- tion are ongoing issues, the union said. According to the BCTF, the govern- ment's most recent offer would see teachers in the province go without a wage increase for another two years, despite other public sector workers re- cently receiving increases of as much as four per cent. The union has 90 days to initiate a form of job action, but BCTF president Jim Iker said a return to the bargaining table is the next step. "The strike vote is the first stage to put pressure on," Iker said. "For us, it's not about going on strike. We don't want to go on strike. We want a deal at the bargaining table." If job action does occur, he said, it will come in stages. In an effort to pre- vent school closures and disruptions to students, the first stage of a strike would be administrative. Auto strategy needed after Chrysler decision: Unifor WINDSOR, ONT. — When auto giant Chrysler recanted its request for finan- cial assistance from the government, it showcased the need for long-term planning in the auto industry, accord- ing to Unifor. Earlier this month, the automaker withdrew its request for funding from the provincial and federal governments in order to invest in assembly plants in Windsor and Brampton, Ont., saying the company would instead go it alone. The move was lauded by the presi- dent of Unifor, Jerry Dias — who said it also foreshadowed the looming need for a more effective auto strategy. "We are pleased that Chrysler has said it will invest in Windsor," he said. "We are deeply concerned, however, that in the long-term, we are going to lose an incredible opportunity to secure Ontario's manufacturing industry well into the future." Of particular concern is that key play- ers develop a long-term strategy, which would include public investment, in or- der to create a strong and competitive manufacturing sector, Dias added. FORMERLY CLV REPORTS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com Published weekly by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. Subscription rate: $595 per year Customer Service Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 carswell.customerrelations@thomson reuters.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Carswell Media: Karen Lorimer Publisher: John Hobel Managing Editor: Todd Humber News Editor: Sabrina Nanji sabrina.nanji@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9348 News Editor: Liz Foster liz.foster@thomsonreuters.com (416) 298-5129 Marketing Co-ordinator: Travis Chan travis.chan@thomsonreuters.com (416) 609-5872 © 2014 Carswell, a division of Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistanceis required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either official or unofficial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. canadian labour reporter Labour Briefs A look at labour news from across Canada. For regular news updates, visit Canadian Labour Reporter at www.labour-reporter.com

• Cover