Operating Engineers Union at UBC votes in favour of strike mandate

Operating Engineers Local 882 members at UBC have voted 100 per cent in favor of striking.

It follows three years without a contract.

Local 882 Business Manager Adrian David says the employer is also threatening to deny engineers $2,500 in retroactive pay if the union doesn’t accept concessions.

“They want to remove key language for our members regarding their shift schedule language, they want to change any shift that they wish so that our members on a regular shift right now would be at the mercy of the employer to come in any day at any time.”

David says the union has agreed to follow government public sector wage guidelines of a 5.5 per cent wage increase over a five-year collective agreement.

“If or when we put up pickets,” he says, “my expectation is that the university would be virtually shut down.”

The union will issue advance notice of any strike action.

He says members perform valuable building engineering and maintenance work to keep facilities ventilated, warm and safe.

So far no comment from UBC.