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rfmcdonaldblogTo's Brady Yauch warns that at the University of Toronto, Toronto's premier university, the fear of a strike by staff is receding.
What's York? "York" is York University, the youngest and second-largest of Toronto's two universites with a reputation for being decidedly left-wing.
All this has definitely hurt York University. Yauch notes that "York has fallen to fourth place in the number of first-year applications in Ontario--down from the second place it traditionally claims," behind Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario. The market decides, no?
The union is asking the university to cover University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). premiums for international students. UHIP is a private for-profit healthcare plan that currently charges about $3000 per year to cover international students and their families. The union is also looking for better childcare assistance and improved maternity/parental leave provisions to members with children. It's asking for smaller tutorial and lab sizes, while ensuring experienced TAs aren't forced out of the classroom. And the union wants to defend tuition assistance for unfunded students, which the university is trying to eliminate.
A spokesperson from the CUPE 3902 says that after months of deadlock, U of T is showing movement on maternity/parental leave, tutorial and lab sizes and a number of smaller issues. She also said that although U of T and the union have yet to come to any agreement, talk of a strike is premature, as the two sides have the next couple of weeks to work through their disagreements.
Plus, the relationship between U of T and the union is far more functional than the situation up at York--as both sides are closer on a number of key issues and the dynamics between the parties is far more functional.
What's York? "York" is York University, the youngest and second-largest of Toronto's two universites with a reputation for being decidedly left-wing.
Striking teaching assistants and contract faculty at York University have voted to reject a three-year deal, leaving in limbo the fate of 50,000 students who have been out of class for more than two months.
The vote, requested by the university and supervised by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, was greeted as a major victory by the union, members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
The union had recommended rejecting the deal. A total of 69 per cent of its 3,300 striking members cast a vote, with a total of 63 per cent voting no.
“We're obviously pleased,” union spokesman Tyler Shipley said. “This is a very clear indication from our membership across all three units that the offer on the table was inadequate.”
For students, the rejection certainly means more uncertainty and missed classes. The union is asking for a return to the bargaining table by 1 p.m. Wednesday, but the demand was flatly rejected by the university's president Tuesday night.
“We are not going back to the bargaining table … York is taking a stand to protect its academic and financial future,” said York president Mamdouh Shoukri, speaking at a press conference with union members pounding at the door, some shouting “shame.” Police had to be called in when university staff and union members got into a shoving match.
[. . .]
York's proposal was for a three-year deal, which included a 9.25-per-cent wage increase and improved benefits and job security.
[. . .]
The York contract is one of the most generous in the province and is widely seen by other locals as a benchmark for negotiations. The York workers also are looking for a two-year deal as part of an effort by CUPE to co-ordinate contracts on Ontario campuses to gain more clout through provincewide bargaining in 2010.
All this has definitely hurt York University. Yauch notes that "York has fallen to fourth place in the number of first-year applications in Ontario--down from the second place it traditionally claims," behind Ryerson University and the University of Western Ontario. The market decides, no?
