Late last night, the union representing custodial, grounds, and trades employees at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo and Kitchener campus went on strike.

CUPE Local 926 informed the university that as of 8:00 a.m. Sunday morning all work would stop.

Roger Collison, the chief steward of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 926 said they asked the university to go to binding arbitration, but they turned that down.

“So we put it forth, let the Ministry of Labour arbitrators decide. We win we win, we lose we lose at least it was a third party at labour board that would decide the outcome,” said Collison.

It’s been more than a year since the contract between Wilfrid Laurier University and more than 100 of its trades, custodial and grounds keeping staff expired.

In a media release the vice-president: finance and administration for WLU, Jim Butler is quoted as saying, “I regret the disruption that a strike will cause for the university community. I believe that the university’s proposal was fair, and is consistent with proposals that CUPE has agreed to at a number of other Ontario universities. We remain eager to return to the table.”

The biggest issue separating the sides is a proposal by the university that would allow them to contract out some custodial work.

Local 926, represents about 110 members.