The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2361 – the Tradespeople, Groundskeepers, and Caretakers at Western University – are in a legal strike position as of 12:01 am on Friday, August 30, 2024.
How Can UWOSA Employees Support CUPE 2361 Employees?
Walk the Picket Line: Meet at the Richmond Gates at 7:30 am on Friday, August 30, 2024.
If you have time during your breaks or lunch, before work or after work, you have the option to join the picket line, or walk with and talk to CUPE 2361 members to better understand the issues they are fighting for at the bargaining table.
Attend the Rally: Stand in solidarity with CUPE 2361 this Saturday, August 31st at the University Main Gates from 12-2 PM. Lunch will be provided! The Main Gates are located at 1151 Richmond St. London ON N6A 3K7 (near Richmond St. & Huron St.). There is free street parking on the nearby city roads (Broughdale Ave., Epworth Ave., Mayfair Dr., Bernard Ave., Raymond Ave.). All are welcome! Click here to view rally flyer.
Do not perform CUPE 2361 Work: As per Article 5.04 in our collective agreement, you have the right to decline performing CUPE 2361 work such as cleaning university offices or classrooms, installing or fixing equipment, or grounds maintenance usually done by CUPE 2361 employees. Article 5.04 states, “Employees have the right to decline to perform the normal duties of striking or locked out employees of the Employer during a legal strike by another bargaining unit of employees of the employer or during any lock out of another bargaining unit by the employer.”
If you are unsure if the work you are being asked to perform belongs to a CUPE 2361 member, please reach out to the UWOSA office immediately at info@uwosa.ca.
Reporting to Work on August 30, 2024: Our Collective Agreement, Article 5: Strike or Lockout, specifically Article 5.05 states, “Where individuals in a labor dispute, other than those in the bargaining unit, engage in a strike and maintain picket lines, and where employees of the bargaining unit could suffer personal harm, the employer will endeavor to safeguard such employees.”
This means we, as UWOSA members, are required to report to work, even if this means crossing a picket line. It will be the University’s responsibility to ensure that employees are safe when crossing the picket line, so if you would like a police escort, please contact special constable services on campus for assistance (wscs@uwo.ca, ext. 83300).
Driving to Campus: Please allow yourself extra time to get to campus, and time to cross the picket line. If you are driving a vehicle, please be respectful to those picketing at the crosswalks and at the corners of the entrances to Western University.
London Transit: Please note that city buses will not enter campus during a strike or lockout. LTC will reroute so as not to cross picket lines and may instead stop on Richmond Street/ Western Road instead.
Crossing a picket line: When passing by or crossing picket lines, please be respectful and courteous to CUPE 2361 members. Please avoid arguments or confrontations of why you are crossing, you may simply state that in the UWOSA collective agreement, you are required to report to work. If you would like a police escort to safely cross the picket line, please contact the special constable services (formerly known as campus police) for assistance (wscs@uwo.ca, ext. 83300).
If you are told by a supervisor to go home after reporting to work, please contact the UWOSA office at info@uwosa.ca before leaving campus.
If a supervisor is insisting that you perform tasks or duties normally performed by a CUPE 2361 member, please contact the UWOSA office at info@uwosa.ca immediately.
Unionized workers on campus are united. UWOSA strongly believes in the collective bargaining process and stands in solidarity with its brothers and sisters of CUPE 2361. Their fight today for fair compensation may be our fight in our next round of collective bargaining for equitable compensation and fair working conditions.
Contact: visit their website CUPE Local 2361 – Contact (cupe2361.ca), email CUPE2361social@gmail.com or call 519-661-3642 for more information.
In Solidarity,
Jen Heidenheim, Caitlin McCuaig, Lori Johnson, Natalie Samuel, Emericks Rivas, Cleusa de Oliveira
UWOSA Executive Officers
