After 19 days of negotiations since July, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2424 went on strike on March 5. The union represents about 850 administrative, technical, and clerical staff at Carleton, and is protesting what it sees as threats to union members’ pensions presented by the university.
Considering the sheer number of negotiating days, which CUPE 2424 president Jerrett Clark called unprecedented, this strike is surprising. A strike isn’t good for anyone at Carleton: union members, administration or students. Union members are on the picket line instead of at their jobs, students are losing optimal access to essential services, and the administration is under fire from the Carleton community.
While reduced library hours and relocation of OC Transpo bus stops as a result of the strike are inconvenient, students should take care to remember that these inconveniences are a small result of bigger issues. The behind-the-scenes work done by support staff is crucial to help the university run more smoothly.
Students in classes dependent on CUPE 2424 members, such as journalism broadcast classes and science labs, and graduating students face uncertainty as to how the rest of the school year, with only about a month left, will end. Graduate students are also affected, as a prolonged strike may result in the cancellation of an end-of-year conference used to showcase students’ research.
This disagreement won’t be solved until ending the strike and coming to a consensus on the new collective agreement is prioritized. Regardless of where the blame lies, the union and university need to set their differences aside and come together for the good of everyone.
