BURNABY (NEWS1130) – BCIT students may have to prepare for more labour unrest on all campuses, now that BCGEU members who teach trades voted in favour of a strike as they negotiate for a new contract.

Classes are cancelled at BCIT and Vancouver Community College today because unionized workers are picketing outside campuses around the Lower Mainland.

Tomorrow’s job action is limited to BCIT’s Aerospace Technology Centre near YVR.

At BCIT’s main campus in Burnaby, dozens of workers decked out in rain slickers are marching up and down Willingdon Avenue with signs that say, “On strike.”

“We’re on strike because we’ve been almost two and a half years without a collective agreement, our employer doesn’t seem to have a mandate that we can expect and we’re on strike for a fair wage settlement,” says Richard Schaeffer with the union representing support staff at BCIT.  

Schaeffer is looking for a four year deal with a two per cent wage increase in each of the last two years. The province hasn’t budged from its position of a one per cent increase.

“We’re asking for a settlement that’s equivalent to what the universities have recently settled for, and the government hasn’t countered with anything,” says Schaeffer.

The job action at BCIT and VCC will only last one day; classes will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow.

There is also a labour dispute at SFU, but no classes have been cancelled