by Kaillin Samuels and Maddie Savage

A Laurentian University maintenance worker is more than two weeks into a protest in the form of a hunger strike.

The protest piqued the curiosity of students and members of the Laurentian community passing by George Van Embden and his signs at the campus entrance.

Van Embden said he is protesting “bullying and harassment” from his employer, and said he began the hunger strike because of lack of support from his union.

Van Embden has worked for Laurentian University for nearly thirty years in various positions, but mostly in maintenance, he said.

“I don’t want to fight with them, I just want them to stop the bullying and harassment and to recognize that it happens at an adult level,” he said. “There’s an old saying […] which is pick and choose your battles.”

“This is one I decided, it’s time,” Van Embden said.

Van Embden said he was off work due to an injury.

“In a nutshell, I had a doctor’s note saying I could return to work in a couple of weeks, but they refused it.” he said.

Van Embden was allegedly told that if he came back he would be escorted off the property.

“I already told [my union president] I want one hundred percent to go back into the university,” Van Embden said.

Lambda reached out to Laurentian University Staff Union (LUSU) for a comment on the allegations. LUSU stated that they cannot currently comment on the situation as it is an ongoing process and also out of respect for Van Embden.

Laurentian University said they are not in a position to comment on a personal matter. However, they said they support the right to free speech, as outlined in their Policy on the Freedom of Speech.