VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A labour dispute threatening to shut down the main UBC campus in Vancouver may be short-lived. That comes as up to 100 heating and cooling system employees are holding a strike vote on Thursday.

The union’s business manager, Adrian David, says that means picket lines could go up as early as Monday. “We need a contract. We’ve been waiting three years. If they don’t get back to the table with something, we’re going to have to consider that for sure.”

In a statement, the union has agreed to follow government guidelines of a 5.5 per cent wage increase over a five-year collective agreement but David adds UBC is asking for — among other items — work scheduling concessions in exchange for getting the same pay increase that all other workers there get.

“The final straw came when UBC management recently sent a message to our members saying they would not give them retroactive pay back to the contract expiry date of March 2014 unless IUOE Local 882 accepted significant, unnecessary and unfair concessions not asked of any other UBC employee group,” explains David.

However, UBC’s Leslie Dickson says even if picket lines go up, services may not necessarily be disrupted. “The union is required to provide 72-hour notice before any job action. UBC would seek an essential service designation from the Labour Relations Board. The heating and cooling of buildings on campus and the safe operation of the related equipment is an essential service.”

She points out they’ve asked for help to fix this. “The university has requested further mediation to resolve outstanding issues which the union has refused. We are hopeful that we can still successfully conclude bargaining.”