Picket lines expected on move-in day as Western's groundskeepers, tradespeople set to strike

Students at Western University could be crossing picket lines as the school year gets underway following the announcement of a strike by the union that represents the school's cleaners, tradespeople, gardeners and other employees.

The strike, set to begin at 7:00 a.m., on Friday, comes on the day Canadian students start moving into residences. Roughly 330 employees will be on the picket line, the union said Thursday night.

"It's come down to a matter of a lot of the members not being able to afford to work here anymore," said Chris Yates, an electrician and the vice-president of CUPE 2361. "Two-thirds of our members already work a second or third job just to make ends meet."

Negotiations have been ongoing since summer, with wages the primary sticking point, Yates said. He notes that 90 per cent of the union's members voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike.

"Wage has not kept up with the rapidly rising cost of living or the wages of other nearby institutions," Yates said. 

The workers have been without a contract since June 30. On Wednesday, Western negotiators decided to step away from the table saying the gap between what they were willing to give and the union's demands was too large, Yates said.

In a statement, Western officials said they were disappointed to not reach a deal with CUPE 2361, despite offering what they called "one of the most competitive compensation packages in the university sector," with wage increase of nearly 22 per cent over four years. 

"Western has detailed plans in place, and we are committed to ensuring the fall term runs as smoothly as possible," said Stephen Ledgley, acting manager, stakeholder relations for Western. "The university is open, and all activities will continue."

The union's vice-president also questioned why, with Western's rising enrolment numbers, more staff members aren't being brought on as a result.

"We haven't kept pace with that [enrolment increase]. More students means more work, and more staff needed," Yates said.

To Yates, the work his union's members do, which keeps the lights on, the water flowing, and the grounds clean, is instrumental to the functioning of the school. That's why, he said, it's inevitable that the strike will have an effect on move-in day and orientation week.

"To some extent there will be a crossing of our picket line for students to get to residence, but that's where we can give out our information, hand out flyers, and try to let the students and their parents know what's happening," he said. 

According to the union, picket lines will form Friday at 7 a.m., at campus entrances.