Strike!

CAW heads to the picket lines

Chelse McKee, staff

At midnight on Oct.10, 480 University of Manitoba employees, members of CAW, walked off the job and onto the picket lines.

At the time of printing this strike already has outlasted the four-day duration of the last strike, in 2001. Hemi Mitic, assistant to the national president of the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW), said that the final outcome of that strike was “awkward for all of us.” This, he said, is why they are on strike again.

Mitic said that CAW is “sensitive to the fact that [they] are interrupting students.”

Mitic continued on to outline the wants of CAW in their negotiations.

The first item is wages. The university has offered a 7.9 per cent increase over three years, which would work out to 2.5, 2.5, and 2.9 per cent for each year, respectively. CAW has turned down the offer so far, claiming that the university is offering CAW over three years what some management and administrative wages are increased by in one year.

Currently, the wages for the University of Manitoba administration are increased by 6.5 to 7.5 perc ent each year, accumulating to 19.5 to 22.5 per cent over three years.

John Danakas, director for University of Manitoba public affairs, says the university’s offer is “very much in line, in fact, exactly in line, with what comparable bargaining units have received in the province.”

CAW has also asked for 4.5 percent each year as well as a signing bonus of $5,000.

The second item is revised sick leave provisions. In the current sick leave language, under article 8.2, time spent on modified duties may or shall be counted as sick leave. Frank Wright, chairperson for CAW, says that they want that time to be counted towards working hours, so as not to affect shot term disabilities.

Wright said that the university uses the current sick leave provisions to “weed out the people that they think are getting older and injured.”

As well, CAW would like to have their medical cost remaining stagnant. Currently union members are expected to pay for half of their insurance premiums, while the university pays for the other half out of a benefits reserve fund. However, the reserve fund is almost spent, so CAW has proposed that the university continue to pay for their half of the premium out of the university’s operating budget.

CAW has also included in their demand list the inclusion of student workers in the union. At a recent protest held by UMFA, Wright said that the students working beside CAW members should be paid equal wages.

The union has also made note to include in their contract that parking fees do not increase over the next three years.

As of press time, Wright said that the university has not returned to the bargaining table to readjust their offer.

Danakas said that if the contract mediator from the provincial government tells the university to go back to the bargaining table to readdress the offer, that the “university would be prepared to do so.”

Wright rebutted by saying that the university is “good at spinning. They’re just playing games. All it’s really doing is pissing our guys off. It’s not good for anybody.”

Currently, non-unionized management and student staff are performing the jobs that were abandoned by the union members. The university is focusing on providing residence food services, Danakas said.

There are currently no plans to hire new employees, according to Danakas.