Capilano University update on strike action
Update message - June 14, 2023
Capilano University remains committed to reaching a negotiated settlement with MoveUP Local 378. Over the past seven days, there has been an informal meeting and daily emails between Capilano University leadership and MoveUP Local 378 union representatives with the goal of resolving the strike.
The single outstanding issue remains the union's position on adding remote work language into the collective agreement.
CapU was one of the first post-secondary institutions to develop, introduce, and document in writing a remote work Hybrid Office Program (HOP). The University and the union agree the HOP program works well and has worked since its inception three years ago. There are no plans to remove or adjust this program.
Launched in 2021 as a pilot program, HOP was developed in consultation with employees and the union. Due to the positive response and the program’s success, CapU formalized the program as an ongoing option from September 1, 2022 onwards to support hybrid office work arrangements, where operationally feasible. MoveUP employees in a variety of roles are participating or are eligible for this program; as an example, 94% of IT Services MoveUP employees are successfully participating in the HOP program. Job positions that are front-facing, serving students in person, or maintaining facilities are required to be physically onsite, such as facility maintenance or child care services.
The University had proposed a Letter of Agreement (LOA) in the collective agreement referencing the program for remote work. This arrangement was used and accepted in other public sector negotiations. At the meeting last week, the original LOA proposal was amended a third time, and rejected for a third time by the union. Following that meeting, the union asked to meet again but did not provide a new proposal. The rejected LOA has since been withdrawn by the University.
Classes at Capilano University remain disrupted due to strike action; students should watch their CapU email for regular updates. The University’s main campus remains open, kálax-ay Sunshine Coast campus is closed, and CapU Lonsdale is open with reduced hours and services. We are actively working to resolve the strike to continue serving students and employees at CapU without further disruption.
The University and the union are meeting at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. CapU remains committed to our students, and to the negotiating process with our employees. We want to resume normal operations on our campuses. We are actively working hard at reaching a resolution quickly so we can continue to provide the high-quality educational services our students have come to expect when they chose to attend CapU.
See the CapU News webpage for earlier updates on the strike action.
Submitted by: Communications