March 17, 2008

Student Union board splits, factions
to face off in upcoming election

By Nikalas Kryzanowski, News Editor

   

Dice. Students United vs. Revitalize may
sound a bit like a European football match-up but they
are actually the names of the two separate slates of
candidates running in the 2008 Douglas Student Union
elections. Voting is scheduled to take place between
March 25 and 31 of this year.

The two groups represent a recent split in the current
Student Union executive. College Relations Officer
Matthew Steinbach and External Relations Officer
Alysia MacGrotty are driving forces behind Douglas
Students United while Internal Relations Officer Geoff
Lenahan and Board Chair Sebastian Bubrick head up
Revitalize.

Though the split may be personal, whether there is a

real discernable ideological
difference between the two
slates is very debatable.
Both slates would like to
resolve the Union’s current
receivership status, in
which the DSU’s financial
responsibilities have been
| placed in the hands of
court-appointed Receiver
General MarneJensen. Both
would like to see a return
to financial autonomy as
soon as possible. Likewise,
each slate intends to work
on getting the U-Pass for
Douglas Students, and
' both have numerous green

initiatives that they would
like to pursue.

“I decided to run as part of a slate, in part because
statistically speaking, independents do not fare as well
as those with organization,” said Sebastian Bubrick of
Revitalize. “Both slates are running good candidates
and whichever way the wind blows, I'll be okay with
it.”

What all this means is that this year’s election
campaign may not be fought over what issues should
take priority for the DSU, but rather which slate will be
the most effective in achieving its goals.

“It’s not just election promises we’re making, it is
the implementation of those promises,” noted Matthew
Steinbach of Douglas Students United.

Despite the passion of the politicians, voter
apathy seems to be a fact of college political life.
Sources indicate that a mere 77 students voted in the
recent college by-election, which was won by Alysia
MacGrotty. Of the roughly 10,000 eligible student
voters at Douglas, that constitutes a shockingly small
turnout of less than one per cent. Many students seem
lethargic towards a system that is largely based on
insider politics and make decisions that have little
influence on the student body at large—as exemplified
by the rather obscure receivership issue. Perhaps more
importantly many students simply don’t spend enough
time at Douglas to allow themselves to invest fully in
the College’s political culture.

“T’m here at Douglas for two days a week, and I’m
really just here for the credits. I won’t be a student here
next year, so why would I vote for next year’s DSU?
It’s not really going to be applicable to me,” said Lauren
Johnstone, a second year English major, who will be off
to SFU in September.

Yet Bubrick still has faith. “Students are interested
in our causes and initiatives but it is always good to have
a gimmick like free food or party favours —it gives them
a practical reason to come to the campus to support us.”

An all-candidates meeting, which students are
encouraged to attend, is scheduled to take place at
David Lam Campus on Tuesday, March 18, 12 pm
to 2 pm in the Atrium and at the New Westminster
Campus on Wednesday, March 19, 12 pm to 2 pm, in
the Concourse. Polling will take place in the atriums of
both the Douglas and the David Lam campuses, as well
as online.

 

Stalled bargaining plagues Coquitlam
library workers’ dispute

By Monica Carino, Associate News Editor

Tis union representing Coquitlam’s
library workers wants to know why
bargaining has ceased after only 10
hours of meetings. The Canadian Union
of Public Employees Local 561 is also
calling on the Coquitlam Library Board
to show leadership in the labour dispute.
“I’m surprised at the library board,”
CUPE 561 President Dave Ginter said
Thursday. “Give me the reason why
you ’re applying for mediation after eight
to 10 hours. I don’t understand it. We
want to keep bargaining.”

members.”

Library workers have been withouta week.
contract since December of 2006. Active Library board chair
bargaining re-opened on March 4 of this SimonAhncouldn’t say much

year after a year without bargaining.
Though the negotiations were scheduled
to last two days, according to Ginter,
they lasted only 10 hours.

The union had been waiting to find
out the results of bargaining that took
place in Vancouver last summer among
civic and library workers in that city.
Ginter said that once a wage and benefits
package has been set in Vancouver,
similar policies usually spread across the
Lower Mainland.

“We don’t feel we need to give up a
bunch of stuff to get the same package,”
Ginter said. Issues in negotiations are
funding for Sunday openings, pay equity

the process.

and benefits for part-time workers.
Ginter said it’s better to have people at
the table negotiating instead of entering
into non-binding arbitration. He added
that if arbitration isn’t successful, there
is only one option left— a strike.

“T don’t want that,” he said. “Port
Moody and Burnaby both settled
without going to mediation, and
we also want the opportunity to
bargain a fair contract for our

The library’s negotiating
team applied for mediation last

because the two sides are in
the midst of negotiation.
“T’m totally aware of
the situation and the library
board is very confident in
the negotiating team,” he
said yesterday. Ahn called
mediation a positive step in

“I think mediation is
deemed positive on both sides.
Obviously we want to resolve it
as much as they do and we’re hoping
that mediation will bring us a speedy
resolution,” he added.

No date has been set for mediation.