November 14, 1995

 
 

buie Press

 

Job action suspended this semester

Outlook uncertain for DC instructors

— College

by Samuel Lapalme-Remis

Although reports in The
Vancouver Sun indicated otherwise, the
Institute Educators’

E- Association (CIEA) has decided to

hold off job action for the 1995 Fall

- semester. This decision was reached

when the CIEA successfully brought

« government negotiators to the table.

The Sun falsely reported the
CIEA would “stage a coordinated
walkout”. The CIEA had the mandate
to stage such a walkout, but it was
contingent on the British Columbia
Government’s (BCRC) refusal to meet
with them. The BCRC and the Post
Secondary Employers’ Association
(PSEA) completed a protocol
agreement for negotiation with the
CIEA and British Columbia
Government Employees Union
(BCGEU). The CIEA then suspended
all possibility of job action for this
semester.

Negotiations will resume on
November 23. At stake are the
Educators’ Association’s demands for
increased job security, increased pay,
and compensation fairness. These are

the first negotiation sessions of their
kind, as faculty had previously
negotiated with their individual colleges.
The CIEA is composed of the faculty
from seven Lower Mainland colleges,
including Douglas College, and will
attempt to hammer out an agreement
with the BCRC that will be applicable
to all seven colleges.

The CIEA had considered

particularly vocal about his opposition
to the DCFA tactics. DC psychology
instructor Cornelius Rea stated in The
Other Press that the DCFA was
“holding students hostage,” and union
executives had no way of predicting if
rotating strikes would put pressure on
the BCRC to negotiate: Some professors
even stated they would expect students
to cross picket lines if a strike occurred

staging rotating and penalize
strikes, which would those who
have kept the ‘ didn’t. Katrina
disruption of student no one will comment on Eeeon n ack,
life toa minimum the prospect of astrike in President of the
while putting ‘ Douglas College
pressure on the the winter 1996 semester student Society
PSEA to come to the has stated that
negotiating table. students should
According to not be expected

officials in the Douglas College Faculty
Association (DCFA), the possibility of
an all-out strike was never seriously
considered.

The faculty voted in favour of striking
if necessary, giving the CIEA the option
of declaring a strike on November 2.
However, some colleges, including
Douglas, obtained only marginal
majorities. One DC professor was

to attend class or be tested on any
material taught on strike days.

Bruce Landon, Douglas College
psychology instructor and DCFA
negotiator, refused to comment on the
outlook of the negotiations, stating that
they had entered new territory, and
insight into the process was impossible.
Katrina Lennax could not be reached for
comment on recent developments.

The ESL International Education Centre would
like to thank the following volunteers for their
participation in the Language Partnership

Program

 

We really appreciated having
the opportunity to publicly thank the
many volunteers who have participated
in the Language Partner Program for the
ESL students at Douglas College.

Douglas College
Students

Harsher Maun
Emy Nakamura
Yay Pate

Yamia Pestano
reugela Quon
Dave Seaweed
Dorina Sug
Colin Stralak
Ranglawee Sudeawart
Yulie Tadd

Yade Wee

Robert White
AAudrew Williams
Carg Wong
Gueny Wong
Eruin Yap
Hiroshi Yasuoka
Carolyn Yun

From the Community

Paul +trehenr
Suan Beek

Jerome Gouvier
Ed Butcher
Lanny Chau
Carmen Cook

Margaret Cope

Frank Deighan
Subic Eastman
Char Generaur

Ente Gencraur
Dennis Howes
Li-Lia Fou

Gane Huang

Wyken Yeusea
Kemike Karpoyg
Karena Kwan

Yanice Lambert
Joyce Lim

Man Louie

Cecelia Low Ah Kee
Patricia MacMillan
Cindy Mantel
Ralph Mills

Dean Morrisette
Derek Harwey Neale
Lois Reimer
Gordon Roberte
Caudance Smith
Susan Smith
RKeadall Sturrock

Jean Todd
Yulia Taziré
rempy Tercias
Lucette Wesley
Mile Westerwelt
Diane Wiesner

 

Although job action has been suspended for this semester, no one will comment on
the prospect of a strike in the Winter 1996 semester. It can only be assumed that in
the event of a breakdown of negotiations, the CIEA will be forced to contemplate
the possibility. In the event of a peaceful settlement, of course, all fears of job
action will be put to rest.

 

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