Students at Ottawa's Carleton University say labs have been cancelled, residence mail hasn't been delivered, and everything from buying books to getting on campus is more difficult as a strike by university support staff enters its second week.

Library, food services, office and other non-academic staff represented by CUPE 2424 walked of the job on Sept. 5 after failing to reach an agreement with the university.

In particular, the two sides disagree on the size of wage increases. As of Thursday, they were in mediation.

Classes are continuing as scheduled, but students face some disruptions nonetheless.

Health science student Meagan Prummel said Thursday she has already missed one lab because lab technicians are on strike and aren't setting or cleaning up the labs.

Prummel said she'll have to make up for missed labs during her exams.

"That's going to be awful," she said. "It's a loss because I have paid a lot of money for the education that I'm getting, and without my labs, I'm not getting the same education as others. So it's not fair."

Students are also having trouble buying books at the bookstore because the staff who drive the delivery trucks aren't delivering, and students living in residence aren't getting their mail, Prummel added.

Some arts courses have also been affected.

Student Jordan Lajeunesse said his film professor doesn't have access to films that support staff usually provide for in-class screenings.

"So we can't watch anything," he said.

Cause for optimism

For some students, just getting on campus has become a bigger challenge.

OC Transpo buses aren't servicing the campus during the strike and picket lines have slowed other traffic entering the university.

But there appears to be some cause for optimism.

Wiz Long, lead negotiator for the union, said there's not much standing in the way of an agreement that would end the strike.

"I would say we're really not far apart," she said. "We have been flexible. We just ask for a bit more flexibility on their part and we've got a deal."

The lead negotiator for the university declined an interview with CBC about the strike's impact on students, saying the mediator has imposed a news blackout during negotiations.