Ontario labour leaders participating in ‘day of action’ as York U. strike nears 10th week

Ontario: Labour leaders from across the province have descended on York University for a “day of action” in support of striking contract faculty and other staff.

About 3,000 members of CUPE 3903 have now been on strike for nearly 10 weeks amid a protracted contract dispute that reportedly centres over job security provisions and the path to tenured positions for contract faculty.

Today, members of Ontario Federation of Labour affiliates have gathered at York University’s Keele campus to join striking CUPE 3903 members on the picket lines.The picketers started arriving at around 7:30 a.m. and are currently preventing vehicles from entering the York University campus.

“Typically they have been letting cars in and out and they are still on strike so today we will doing things a little different to get the employers’ attention and the governments’ attention,” Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley told CP24. “We are going to send a strong message.”

The “day of action” comes nearly a month after members of CUPE 3903 rejected the university’s offer following in what the union called a “forced ratification vote” that was ordered by the Ministry of Labour.

York University has called for the sides to go to binding arbitration to settle outstanding issues, however the union has o fare refused to take that route and has chastised the school or refusing to return to the bargaining table.

Meanwhile, the Ontario government has launched an industrial inquiry commission to investigate the dispute and make recommendations on how it could be resolved.

“You can’t negotiate a collective agreement if you don’t talk to your counterparts. They have had one day of bargaining since March and there have been no discussions since,” Buckley told CP24. “We are here to give them the gentle reminder that the members who are on strike have the support of the labour movement and we want both parties back at the table to end this dispute.”

About 60 per cent of the classes at York University are taught by CUPE 3903 members.