Fulcrum: UO support, administrative staff provide strike mandate to negotiators

University of Ottawa support and administrative staff, represented by Support Staff University of Ottawa (SSUO), voted 84% in favor of a strike mandate for their bargaining unit, reports in The Fulcrum indicate.

SSUOs 1,200 members include library staff, co-op specialists, financial aid advisors and other support and administrative staff.

A main concern at the bargaining table for SSUO members is the filling of vacant positions. More than 80 positions at the university remain unfilled, stretching vital services thin. Staff are especially concerned as new provincial funding guidelines tie university funding to 10 performance metrics, many of which are directly influenced by the successful staffing of currently vacant positions.