Entrepreneurship building opens as union rallies

Western celebrated the opening of the Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on Friday, but not everyone was excited as members of CUPE 2361 rallied for higher wages outside its doors.

The building has been under construction for two years and is named in recognition of a $10 million gift from Western University law graduate and Canadian financier Ron Schmeichel.

“I hope that the students who come through this building in the years to come, will do incredible things that we could not even imagine today. And as I said, there are no barriers to this entry. It’s a great equaliser,” Schmeichel said at Friday’s opening ceremony.

The building marks a milestone as Western’s first zero-carbon building. By completely eliminating the use of natural gas, the architects – Perkins & Will – wanted to take a “robust approach to sustainability” to the building.

The 100,000-square-foot building is home to Canada’s largest creative space, which is available to students, staff, faculty and alumni interested in inventing and sharing innovative ideas. The production spaces on the first and second floors have traditional hand tools and metal and woodworking machinery. The modern building has collaborative learning spaces such as work rooms, classrooms and meeting rooms.

Eric Morse, executive director of the Western Morrisette Institute for Entrepreneurship Programs, explained that master carpenters will train at the makerspace, but the goal is for these spaces to be student-run.

“We want to see students have a place to meet, talk about ideas, be creative, be innovative and some of them start projects down the road, but really a place for like-minded students. come together,” Morse said.

According to Western President Alan Shepard, more than 2,000 students signed up for building tours at the opening ceremonies over the weekend.

“It positions Western as the best university in Canada, providing students with skills, talent scouting and the development of individual talents and opportunities as they advance their careers,” said Shepard.

As Shepard boasted about the well-funded university’s accomplishments, horns blared in the background. The protesters were standing behind barricades to draw attention to the ongoing Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2361 strike, now in its fifth week.

“This is where we can really make noise and be seen and heard. Senior management is there right now for this ribbon cutting ceremony. They put all kinds of effort and care into this ceremony,” said CUPE 2361 Vice President Chris Yates. “They made no effort and no care to come back to the table to negotiate a fair contract.”

Members of CUPE 2361, the Canadian Public Service Alliance and the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association participated in the protest.

“Our members are here in an act of desperation because they can no longer afford to work here. The cost of living crisis is hitting us all and hitting our members,” Yates said. “As I’ve told many people, many times before, two-thirds of our members work two or three jobs just to make ends meet.”

According to CUPE 2361, workers at Fanshawe College earn between $5 and $7 an hour more for the same work, while the average house price in London has doubled in the past five years. Western said Gazeta that Fanshawe outsources its landscaping and grooming services.

Western said its latest offer includes average pay increases of nearly 22 percent over four years — more than five percent a year — meaning all members earn between $52,000 and $99,000 in the first year of the new deal in a statement to Gazeta.

Attendees and speakers continued with the opening ceremonies despite the noise behind them.

With that, the Entrepreneurship Building is officially open for business.

“There is room for entrepreneurs from all disciplines and it is open to students and graduates. So the building establishes foundational investment, guidance and support as a catalyst for the evolution of entrepreneurship.” Shepard said.