Concordia heads to court to settle unpaid holiday case
MONTREAL (CUP)—CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY IS heading to court to settle a case with support staff who said the administration stole their holidays. The Concordia University Support Staff Union (CUSSU) has filed three grievances regarding unpaid holiday vacations in 2010–11.
According to the technical sector of the support staff union, the workers are owed paid vacation time. Even though the arbitrator in the case ruled in favour of the union, the university appealed the arbitration and has filed a judicial review.
Because of the university’s request, no action will be taken regarding the CUSSU grievances until a decision is made in a superior court.
The union says, as per their contract, if a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, an extra day off should be given the following or previous day, while the university says the union wrongfully interpreted the document.
—Katie McGroarty, the Link
U of A student embezzled $27,000 from BSA
EDMONTON (CUP)—A STUDENT EMBEZZLED more than $27,000 from a faculty association at the University of Alberta, according to a statement to Faculty of Business students released Jan. 23.
In their statement, the Business Students’ Association (BSA) revealed $27,745 was stolen from a BSA bank account over the course of the summer.
When asked to comment, the BSA said they could not elaborate on the investigation or the identity of the student, but BSA president Kimberley Menard said the association is working with the University of Alberta Students’ Union (SU) to ensure this does not happen to other clubs in the future.
The BSA statement said the student in question acted alone despite all transactions requiring two authorized signatures. Menard was unable to elaborate on how the student was able to accomplish this, although the statement indicated it was due to a bank error.
Emerson Csorba, Students’ Union vp academic, confirmed the SU and the BSA have been working together with the Office of the Dean of Students to investigate the issue.
—April Hudson, the Gateway
UVSS moves forward on needle disposal boxes
VICTORIA (CUP)—THE UNIVERSITY OF Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) has agreed to move forward with the installation and ongoing maintenance of needle disposal boxes in designated areas around the Student Union Building.
A motion to provide the main hallway bathrooms and on-site bar with drop-off boxes was put forward by Tara Paterson, UVSS chairperson, after the UVic Department of Occupational Safety and Environment reported its finding of 10 stray needles on university grounds in 2010 and 15 more in 2011.
AIDS Vancouver Island and Campus Security have also discovered a number of discarded needles in many places around UVic. Disposal boxes will be similar to the ones currently used by B.C. Ferries, said Paterson, and will cost roughly $200 initially plus a $96 pickup fee as needed.
—Brandon Rosario, the Martlet
Newly elected student representative sues Thompson Rivers University
KAMLOOPS, B.C. (CUP)—A RECENTLY ELECTED student representative to Thompson Rivers University’s (TRU) board of governors and senate is in the midst of suing TRU for 16 different claims.
Adrian Miller, who was elected by students in an online election held between Dec. 8 and Dec. 22, said in legal documents filed to the court that the university failed to reasonably accommodate his disability and medical problems, the nature of which was left unspecified.
Miller’s documents go on to say when he went to senior TRU officials to ask for help in receiving accommodation, they ignored or squelched his complaints and failed to apply university policy. The documents also say TRU sought to make Miller miserable so he would leave the university.
The university has denied the allegations.
“[Miller] knows these allegations are false, unnecessary, scandalous, frivolous, and vexatious,” stated a legal document filed by the university in response to the lawsuit.
—Devan C. Tasa, the Omega
