2018 York University strike
| 2018 York University strike | |
|---|---|
A picket line at the Founders Road entrance to York University's Keele Campus
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| Date | March 5, 2018 |
| Location | Toronto |
| Caused by | Contract expiry |
| Goals |
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| Methods | |
| Status | Ongoing |
The 2018 York University strike is an ongoing strike by CUPE Local 3903, the union representing contract professors, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants at York University.
York University and CUPE 3903 began bargaining in August 2017 as their three-year contract signed in March 2015 was approaching expiry. Bargaining was not particularly successful. On January 16, 2018, a government-appointed conciliation officer requested by CUPE 3903 was introduced to bargaining. Bargaining in concert with a conciliation officer is intended to prevent a strike, but is also a prerequisite for granting the legal authority to strike. On January 25, 2018, the results of a strike vote granted the union legal authority to prepare for a strike. On February 8, CUPE 3903 requested a no-board report. A no-board report is submitted to the Ministry of Labour by a conciliation officer to grant the legal authority of an employer or bargaining agent to lock-out or strike respectively. On February 16, the no board report was issued, granting CUPE 3903 the legal authority to strike on March 5th. On March 2, 2018, CUPE 3903 members rejected York University's "final offer" and began striking the following Monday, March 5th.
The strike began on March 5, 2018 at 12:01AM EST. Despite the strike, the university remained open, and winter term courses that were able to continue, continued to run. Winter term ended on April 23 as originally scheduled. Students that refused to participate in academic activities during the labour disruption were promised reasonable accommodations.
On March 12, 2018 the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Mitzie Hunter, contacted CUPE 3903 and the York University administration to encourage the two sides to bargain. CUPE 3903 re-affirmed its willingness to bargain.
After little movement from either side, on March 18, 2018, York University announced that it would return to the bargaining table. CUPE 3903 was optimistic that the disruption might be resolved but expressed disappointment when York, despite movement from CUPE 3903, issues an ultimatum to capitulate on all important issues, or York walks away from the table.
On March 20, York University presented a revised offer and exercised their statutory power to force a one-time mandatory ratification vote. York made its request on March 27, but the law stipulates a two week delay between request and vote. The vote was held between April 6 and April 9. The university's offer was rejected by 85% of those who voted, with 2,320 "no" votes cast. With the ratification vote defeated, the strike continued. According to CUPE, the proposal under consideration was not meaningfully different from the offer that they rejected at the beginning of the strike.
CUPE 3903 subsequently filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The complaint alleged that York publicly mischaracterized CUPE 3903 demands, incorrectly characterized the demands as illegal, and during a previous labour disruption appropriated the domain name CUPE3903.com to direct internet searches for information on CUPE to the university’s own labour page. York responded that the objections were without merit.
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