York admin still aiming for a compromise
Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
@jackieperlin
CUPE 3903 has set a strike deadline for April 12.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3903, the union representing York teaching assistants, contract faculty, graduate assistants, and research assistants, officially set a strike deadline shortly after it passed the strike mandate March 16, giving the union the permission to strike if necessary.
On March 19, the union asked the conciliator—the third-party member of the negotiation process—to have the Ministry of Labour issue a letter for a “no board report,” giving the union the precondition before they are in a legal strike position and set a strike deadline.
Karen Walker, chair of CUPE 3903, points out that there is a 17-day period after the issuing of a no board report that gives the union a “cooling off period” before legally striking.
Since the Ministry of Labour is expected to issue the letter within a few days, the union will be in a legal strike position if a negotiation is not reached by 12:01 a.m. on April 12.
Hunar Chandhok, a second-year business student, says that if a possible strike interferes with exam period, it will affect her plans for the summer. She also believes it will be a media nightmare for the university.
“A lot of people are not going to want to come here, and the strike is really going to hurt York’s reputation,” says Chandhok.
Nevertheless, Walker explains that the union continues to receive concessions from the university at the bargaining table with regards to the monetary proposals that are “well before inflation and what [the University of Toronto] just got.”
Prior to setting a strike deadline and asking for the no board report,
the union had proposed a memorandum of settlement, a one-time 12-per-cent total compensation package to the university, who then responded with 13 proposals of their own. An update on CUPE’s website claims the university “failed to address the priorities of the members.”
Walker explains that this means the union was seeking a 12-per-cent total compensation package, with a two-per-cent wage increase for the next three years, but the university responded by offering a 3.5-per-cent total compensation package, working out to a mere 1.2-per-cent in wage increases each year.
Walker compares this to the approximately five-per-cent total compensation package the union received during the 2008 negotiation.
When the offer was refused by the university, the union reverted back to their February 15 proposal, but as stated on the website, CUPE “will continue to push for a 12-per-cent total compensation package,” mentioning that it is the union’s bottom line.
Joanne Rider of York media relations says the university remains hopeful that a compromise can be reached with the union before the strike deadline, explaining that the university will continue to meet with the union.
She says the university is surprised by the union’s move towards a strike, pointing out that strike mandates are often used in the negotiation process.
“The university is doing everything in its power to work towards a successful agreement,” says Rider.
As for finances, Walker says the local union is out of debt to CUPE national and is therefore able to fund strike pay to its members in the event of a strike.
The university says it is important to remember that a strike mandate vote passing does not necessarily mean a strike will occur.
“Strike mandates are often used as a bargaining tool in negotiations,” says Rider. “The primary goal is to have a successful negotiation.”
The next meeting between the union and the university is set for Thursday, March 22, at which point the university intends to set further dates to meet.
