Injuries and suspensions, a coaching change and player waivers, a postponement, no-shows by superstars Thierry Henry and David Beckham and not a single win on the road.
The list of things that have gone wrong for the last-place Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Whitecaps in their difficult first Major League Soccer season will not, however, include a workers strike at B.C. Place Stadium.
The 6-17-10 clubs season finale will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday at 4 p.m. against the defending league-champion Colorado Rapids. Members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Unions local 1703 will be in a legal strike position on Saturday morning, but they have decided not to disrupt the game.
We made the decision not to, said BCGEU spokeswoman Karen Tankard. Its a gesture of goodwill. Lets get back to the table.
The ushers, maintenance and tradespeople, first aid attendants and security guards voted 89 per cent last month in favour of a strike against B.C. Pavilion Corporation. Their contract expired May 31. Renewed talks broke down Tuesday and 72-hour strike notice was issued.
In a season thats been as difficult as it has been for us, the way fans have stuck with us, [we want] to say thank you to them, said Whitecaps chief executive Paul Barber.
No suitable alternative exists locally for the Whitecaps. Swangard Stadium is too small and temporary Empire Field, which the club vacated on Sept. 24, is rapidly being dismantled by contractor Nussli.
BCGEU picket lines would not have kept Whitecaps or Rapids players out of B.C. Place. MLS Players Union general counsel Jon Newman said their contract includes a no strike/no lockout clause.
While we may support the efforts of Local 1703 and the stadium workers, our players cannot refuse to enter the stadium, Newman told the Courier.
Tankard said what happens Sunday and beyond is unknown. She said the union would rather return to negotiations than strike. The B.C. Lions host the Edmonton Eskimos in the next scheduled B.C. Place event on Oct. 29.
A prepared statement issued Tuesday by PavCos public relations company, Pace Group, said management was disappointed because it had agreed to a number of significant union demands before the BCGEU asked mediator Mark Brown to book out.
Should the BCGEU commence strike action and withdraw their members, B.C. Place will be unable to operate for upcoming scheduled events, said the statement.
PavCo stresses that it has agreed to numerous union proposals in the past six months, including some new issues introduced late in the process. PavCo has also agreed to accept the mediators recommendations in full.
A BCGEU statement said: The focus of the bargaining committee has been around job security, which is our key issue. We are concerned about contracting out and reduction of work hours.
The last time the BCGEU went on strike at the stadium in February 2005, the provincial government intervened to solve the short-lived walkout that delayed set-up for the annual boat show.
