Information picket Wednesday at Bow Valley College
CALGARY – The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees will hold an information picket at Bow Valley College on Wednesday, Nov. 23 to back up the support staff’s fight for a reasonable collective agreement.
“The employer refuses to be realistic,” said AUPE staff negotiator John Wevers. “We’ve been trying to negotiate a fair agreement since July but management still hasn’t made an offer that would even keep up with inflation.”
Last month AUPE, which represents nearly 250 support staff at the college, applied for mediation to break the impasse, but so far management hasn’t budged from its hard-line stance.
“We’re holding this information picket to show Bow Valley College’s management that we won’t back down in our fight for a just settlement,” said Wevers.
To demonstrate their resolve for a fair collective agreement and to protest recent cutbacks, layoffs and outsourcing, AUPE members at the college will continue to participate in “blue Wednesdays,” where they wear blue to show their solidarity.
“Our members are the backbone of the college,” said AUPE President Guy Smith. “They ensure the classrooms and labs are properly equipped, the libraries are in order and accessible and that students’ records are up to date. AUPE is committed to securing collective agreements for all our members that reflect the valuable contributions they make.”
AUPE is Alberta’s largest union, with nearly 80,000 members in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. It represents nearly 9,000 support staff at post-secondary institutions and public school districts around the province.
What: Information picket
Where: Bow Valley College North Main Campus, 332 – 6 Ave. S.E.
When: Wednesday, Nov. 23, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Who: AUPE members and their supporters