After more than 60 days out of school, the York Federation of Students (YFS) handed copies of a 4,000-signature petition to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3903 and York University’s administration, asking for a quick end to CUPE’s strike, the Toronto Star reported Wednesday.
CUPE 3903, the union for York’s teaching and graduate assistants and contract faculty, went on strike Nov. 6 after it failed to reach an agreement with the University for higher wages, greater job security and two-year instead of three-year contracts.
After the province refused to enact back-to-work legislation, talks stopped in mid-December and resumed Jan. 3.
Students across the province are holding their breath for a resolution that may affect more than York University.
The YFS, one of CUPE’s earliest supporters, should have considered the best interests of its undergraduate constituents before endorsing the strike.
It’s unfair to blame one side, as both are equally responsible for maintaining the institution’s quality of education.
But it’s frustrating that, in spite of their rhetoric, neither CUPE nor the administration seems to feel any urgency in reaching an agreement.
Undergraduate students risk losing their spaces in summer internships, or even their entire academic year, if negotiations continue to stall.
Third-party arbitration, declined once by CUPE, should be seriously considered for a speedier resolution.
Many striking CUPE members, who are also graduate students, are also paying tuition for their cancelled courses.
If prospective students stop applying to York for fear of academic disruption, the University will lose a significant amount in tuition fees. In a period of recession and province-wide education budget cuts, York can’t afford to lose revenue that could potentially contribute to CUPE’s demands for wage increases.
After the strike, the University will face a logistical nightmare of making up courses, which both students and professors won’t be happy about.
With so many parties already losing out, it’s important for the two sides to pay attention to the 4,000 signatures and get their acts together for a quick, but rationally negotiated, resolution.
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