MEDIA ADVISORY: Students and faculty representing five BC campuses set to deliver recommendations asking for administrators to take responsibility for poverty wages on campus

The ‘Justice Begins on Our Campuses’ Working Group composed of stakeholders from Langara College, BCIT, VCC, Capilano University, and UBC-Okanagan is demanding that campus administrations adopt responsible contracting policies


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A working group delegation representing five BC campuses plan to simultaneously deliver a series of recommendations to their respective administrators calling for a fair tendering process, a Living Wage on campus for all workers, and respect for workers' right to freely choose a trade union.

WHAT: Delivery of Working Group Recommendations to University & College Administrators

WHEN: Wednesday April 4, 2018 at 1:00 PM

WHERE: UBC-Okanagan (meet at Student Union Office, UNC building)
Capilano University (meet between Arbutus & Library Building)
Langara College (meet at Building A info booth)
BCIT - Willingdon Campus (meet at front entrance of SW01 building)
Vancouver Community College – Broadway Campus (meet in front of Building A)

BACKGROUND

The launching of SEIU’s Justice for Janitors campaign on post-secondary campuses cleaned by Best Service Pros has led a group of concerned academics, staff and students to come together and create an ad-hoc solidarity working group.

Under the slogan, ‘Justice Begins on Our Campuses,’ the working group, representing stakeholders from Langara College, VCC, BCIT, UBC-Okanagan and Capilano University held a one-day conference on Saturday March 17, 2018 at the Vancouver Community College Downtown Campus.

The group produced a series of recommendations to mitigate the negative effects of a tendering process through adopting a policy that awards contracts to ‘Good Employers’ and ensures contracted workers on public post-secondary institutions have a Living Wage & Benefits.

SEIU’s Justice for Janitors is a movement of workers that has successfully organized to improve wages, benefits, and job security for over 7,000 janitors across Canada. SEIU’s goal is to organize all janitors in BC, so together, workers can raise industry standards and reverse the race to the bottom.

For more information, please visit www.bestworkersdeservebetter.com

Contact: Zoe Luba 604-360-2690