Two weeks into job action that has put spring semester classes on hold, students at Capilano University have launched an online petition calling for an end to a strike by the union that represents the school’s support workers.
“We are trying to get 500 signatures, that way we can send it off to the union as well as to the university,” said third-year psychology major Katerina Derbas. Because most faculty members are standing in solidarity with support workers, there is no one to teach, and Derbas has had two classes suspended.
“Of course it’s frustrating because, you know, as students and as a university, you come into an agreement whenever a student pays their tuition. And there is that implied assumption that the university will follow through,” said Derbas.
She said spring semester students have been told they can request a full refund with no course credit, or attempt to finish their coursework and submit it for grading at some point in the future. Derbas wonders how that will work.
“How is it possible to get a letter grade or even get credit for a course in which you don’t have access to all of your assignments?” she asked. Final exams are also in limbo.
Move Up Local 378 which represents the support workers says it’s trying to minimize impact on students. But spokesperson Christy Slusarenko added the union still needs to exercise its rights.
”We are not really the bad guys in this,” she said. “We feel that the university is failing the students. We know it’s important for all of them to have their grades.”
Both the union and the university say they thought a deal was close at hand last week, but accuse the other side of making last-minute changes to the agreement.
“It was changes we couldn’t accept and definitely veered off the path that we thought we had last week,” said Slusarenko.
In an emailed statement, Capilano University said after it made requested changes to language on remote work, the union then demanded it to provide backpay for employees while on strike, which it calls “unacceptable because by definition of the action, employers do not pay employees full salary while they are on strike.”
The statement concluded: “CapU remains committed to our students, and to the negotiating process with our employees. We want to resume normal operations on our campuses.”
Derbas said students are frustrated by the back and forth.
“We are essentially caught in the crossfire in all of this,” she said. “We have already paid, we have already put in the time and the effort, we come to classes, we work hard, we show respect to all of the instructors and to the support workers. So I’m quite surprised, and I don’t want to say appalled, but a little appalled by what’s happening.”
Derbas says students want the job action to end so they can complete the classes they started in early May.
“I want to go back to class, get my grades, get credit for all of my courses, and then move on with my program.”
