York University faces potential strike as school year approaches
CBC
As the summer comes to a close, York University could start the new school year the same way it ended the last one, with workers on strike.
About 1,700 faculty members, librarians and archivists are in a strike position and say bigger class sizes and department restructuring are hurting the classroom. With classes starting Sep. 4, the union and university were in talks all weekend, with discussions continuing Monday.
Members voted on a strike mandate on July 26, with 92.3 per cent of the 83.8 per cent who turned out voting in favour, according to the York University Faculty Association (YUFA).
Should workers strike, it would be the fourth picket line on York's campus in less than a decade, and the second this year.
"Morale is pretty low among faculty members right now," Ellie Perkins, YUFA president, said. And that feeling might soon extend to students, she said.
"If there's a strike, some people may decide, oh, that's not where I want to study, which is really too bad," Perkins said.
On Aug. 2, the collective agreement for about 1,700 university employees expired. The union representing them says restructuring at the university has led to bigger class sizes, department reductions and fewer faculty positions. They also say wages aren't keeping pace with the rising cost of living.
The union has not given a strike deadline to the university. Perkins said talks were productive over the weekend and the union will continue to negotiate until there is a deal or an impasse.
The university declined to comment, but confirmed in their latest public statement that talks continued Monday with the union and a mediator.
This spring, about 3,000 members of CUPE 3903 — representing York's contract professors, teaching assistants and graduate assistants –- picketed for over seven weeks, demanding wage increases that reflected Toronto's rising cost of living.
As the strike stretched into April, the semester was extended so students could finish exams and graduate. The school also offered refunds for students who decided not to finish their courses that semester.
Aïssata Hann, president of the school's student federation, says those solutions didn't replace regular classroom time. She says the York Federation of Students will stand with YUFA should they strike, but she wants to see a deal in place before school starts.
"People are just really frustrated, especially because you're not getting the full quality of the education that you were promised," Hann said.
"People are tired of the administration," she said. "I've heard some people tell me that if YUFA does actually go on strike, that they will be transferring out and looking for somewhere else to finish their education."
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