Approximately 3,000 academic staff members at York University poised for Monday strike.
Three thousand academic workers at York University are poised to strike Monday morning unless the university presents a “real plan to address the affordability crisis,” according to the union.
CUPE 3903, which represents the school’s contract instructors, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants, stated that picket lines will be established on Monday if an agreement is not reached. At 11 a.m., workers will be joined by faculty, other campus employees, students, and labor leaders for a rally outside York University subway station.
On Friday morning, three units of the union voted in favor of initiating strike action.
“Members made this very important yet difficult decision because the key bargaining issues, especially those tied to compensation and job security, are about survival,” the union said. “After eight months of bargaining, this is the situation we’re in: a university run by an administration that will happily give itself massive raises while our members increasingly rely on food banks.”
Yanni Dagonas, York University’s deputy spokesperson, informed the Star that “Following the CUPE 3903 vote, the university and the union convened as scheduled for collective bargaining negotiations. However, an agreement has not been reached thus far. Negotiations between the university and the union may extend into the weekend and the following week by mutual consent of both parties.”
Sunday morning, Erin McIntosh, CUPE3903’s communications officer, informed the Star via a statement that the union’s bargaining team remains ready to negotiate throughout the remainder of the weekend “provided the employer demonstrates a genuine willingness to engage in bargaining.”
As of Sunday morning, McIntosh noted that the university has not taken any “significant measures” to avert a strike. The strike is scheduled to commence at 12:01 a.m. on Monday unless the university and the union reach a resolution prior to that time.”We are serious about negotiating a deal, and we call on the employer to match our commitment and sense of urgency to reach a just settlement,” McIntosh said.
In 2018, York University academic workers experienced a strike, which concluded when Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives government intervened to legislate them back to work.
During that strike, the provincial government enacted Bill 124, limiting wage increases to one percent per year.
