All Posts Tagged With: "CUPE"

Union and admin urged to act “responsibly” as summer job offers are revoked

According to Lydon Coopman, spokesperson for the anti-strike group York Not Hostage, many students are already starting to lose summer job offers due to the months-long strike by teaching faculty and graduate students at York University.

Speaking to CityNews today, he says the ongoing lockout will definitely prolong the school year, and that students will be the ultimate losers. The group is urging both the union and the university administration to act “responsibly”.

TAs, student instructors and lab demonstrators vote 63 per cent in favour of a strike mandate

Teaching assistants, student instructors, lab demonstrators and invigilators at the University of Toronto have voted 63 per cent in favour of a strike if their contract demands are not met.

“None of our members want to strike, but they have clearly signaled that they are not prepared to accept a deal that ignores their core concerns,” says Rebecca Sanders, chief spokesperson for CUPE 3902 Unit 1.

Their previous contract expired at the end of April. Union representatives say this vote signals a strong strike mandate from their members.

“Despite the fear and anxiety generated by the economic crisis and the very difficult situation unfolding at York University, almost two-thirds of our members courageously indicated their willingness to back up their demands with labour action if necessary,” says Sanders.

Both sides say they will remain at the bargaining table and no strike date has been set.

It is hoped that a strike by members of CUPE 3902 will not result in cancelled classes or have the same disruptive consequences as the CUPE 3903 strike at York University.

Coleman on Campus poses your York strike questions to the Premier

Tomorrow, following the UToronto CUPE strike vote press conference, I will be heading to Queen’s Park and camping out with the rest of the media to ask questions of the Premier and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

I’m going to ask for a response to an expected strike vote at UToronto. I’m expecting an answer along the lines of “it is premature to comment on the situation.”

Then I’ll turn to the situation at York University. I’m not going to ask how the government plans to end the strike, as this will merely result in the Minister repeating his speaking points. (Plus, I’m not the opposition.) Instead, I want to ask the Minister what the government is doing for students as the strike continues with no end in sight.

Therefore, I’m asking you.

As a York undergraduate, what do you want to know from the government?

I expect many of you are wondering about the status of your government loans in January if the strike continues, and what will happen to your loans if the academic year is extended into May. You may also be thinking about government summer jobs that start in May or how you will recover lost summer earnings to pay tuition next September. I’ve already heard from people who have been laid-off from part-time campus jobs who are facing financial difficulty.

Send me your questions and I’ll use them to help formulate the questions I ask the Minister.

With the Legislature adjourning for their winter recess, this is the last chance I have to question the Minister until the House resumes sitting in February.

The question and answer will be posted tomorrow early in the afternoon.

About 78 per cent of law students favoured resuming classes “as soon as possible”

This will be my last update on the resumption of classes at Osgoode Hall, while the CUPE strike has the rest of York University shut down. I appreciate the issues surrounding this relatively small group of students may be of less interest to a general readership. But I also think it’s a very interesting study in the complexities that result when one group of affected students is carved out from the whole and specially accommodated.

Mr. J.P. Rodrigues has been in touch with me. He’s the President of Osgoode’s Legal and Literary Society – their student government. He’s offered me some firm data regarding the survey they conducted among their membership, which I’ve been interested in for some time, and he wished to take particular issue with some of what I reported from Mr. Kevin Tilley (one of the Osgoode student reps on York’s Senate) in my last update. Seems only fair to give him equal airtime.

The survey conducted among Osgoode students, relatively early on in the strike, was answered by 505 students or about 60 per cent of the total. Of those who responded, 78 per cent were in favour of resuming classes “as soon as possible.” I reported in the past that I believed the sentiment was strongly in this direction but it’s nice to have clear figures. Personally, I’m still not sure how to take it that so many students at Osgoode were ready to cross a picket line less than two weeks into a strike. But I’ve acknowledged in the past that Osgoode’s student reps were right to promote the interests of their membership and to reflect their stated preference. That’s what good representatives do.

Mr. Rodrigues takes issue with the suggestion I quoted from Mr. Tilley that students were not adequately consulted on the resumption of academic activities. It isn’t for me to mediate between their differing views, but I actually think these statements are not contradictory. The Legal and Literary Society definitely sought and received a clear statement from students that they wished to resume class. But all the same many questions about what that would mean and how it would play out remained unanswered. I believe that’s what Mr. Tilley meant when he referenced a need for more consultation.

In particular, unanswered questions still relate to the status of students who have elected to not resume their classes and academic work during the strike – as is their right under York’s Senate policy. I do believe the Legal and Literary Society have done their honest best to see this topic addressed. I think they’ve done a great job all around, actually. But I also see a situation where the Osgoode student body has been split against itself, and the majority who have resumed classes have become an unwitting lever exerting pressure on the minority who wish to respect the strike. It may be at least some students who were hoping for business as usual are uncomfortable with these outcomes.

Mr. Rodrigues writes, “an overwhelming amount [of students] are relieved and happy that classes are finally resuming.” I’m sure that’s accurate. He also states that it isn’t true “students are feeling pressured to return to classes” and I’m sure that’s true for the large majority, though I continue to wonder about the remainder. He asserts, “[w]hile ensuring classes resumed on December 1st and the school year still ended on April 27th, we did not neglect those students who wished to exercise their right to not suffer academic penalty during a labour disruption.” And again, I really do believe that. I’m not sure that the administration has done as much as they might, but I have a lot of respect for student efforts on this front.

I first started chewing on this topic because I was interested in the effects of a labour action on the student body at a law school that is widely touted as progressive. I hope I haven’t offended anyone with my sense of disappointment. I’m not on side with CUPE here, necessarily. I’m on side with the labour movement generally and the importance of a picket line. I expected more students at Osgoode would agree with me. Apparently I was wrong. But that’s hardly their fault. Students are well within their rights to cross the picket line and God knows they’re paying enough for the education on the other side of it.

I hope this strike ends as soon as possible, for the sake of all affected. And to anyone who thinks I’ve got it a little too cozy over here at U of T, where I attend law school, CUPE 3902 (U of T’s contract faculty, TAs, etc.) is holding a strike vote starting today. A strike mandate doesn’t necessarily mean a strike, of course, but it’s one big step in that direction. I may yet catch my share of this experience from the other side.

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Questions are welcome at jeff.rybak@utoronto.ca. This blog is still primarily about advising, and I do like questions.

Mediator asks union and university admin to review their positions

Also read: Mediator suspends York talks

Statement from Greg Long, mediator for the Ontario Ministry of Labour, issued Dec. 1:

The mediator has advised the parties that although there has been some movement in recent days, the parties remain far apart on the key issues in this dispute and that a settlement is not close at hand.

Therefore, there are no further negotiations scheduled at this time.

The mediator has asked to parties to review their respective positions and will remain in contact with the parties with a view to returning to the bargaining table if and when a reasonable prospect for settlement exists.

Greg Long
Mediator
Ontario Ministry of Labour

Law caucus decides to reflect the will of their members and resume classes

I’ve had reports from two Osgoode students thus far, one who intends to cross the picket line and one who does not. Both wish to remain anonymous. A summary of their reports is as follows:

The Osgoode student caucus (their representative structure) surveyed the student body and found students were strongly in favour of resuming classes. For that reason, the caucus felt obligated to represent their will.

Concern is very strong regarding how students will be accommodated who choose not to resume classes, as is their right under Senate policy (see the second page). A special meeting is being held off campus on the evening of December 3rd with an Assistant and an Associate Dean of Osgoode for those students.

Part of the issue, here, is that standards for graduation are not in Osgoode’s (or York’s) hands alone. The Law Society of Upper Canada ultimately licenses lawyers in Ontario and thus Osgoode must observe their requirements as well as its own rules.

This issue has been very divisive among students. Some are ideologically aligned with union politics, but among this group there are those who feel this strike has been handled so badly that they aren’t inclined to observe it. Others … well, let’s just say that despite its reputation, Osgoode has its fair share of corporate-oriented law students. They are understandably less conflicted about this and simply want to get back to class.

For myself, I’ll add this commentary. I respect the decision of the Osgoode caucus to reflect the will of their members. I’d do the same in their place, even as I wouldn’t personally cross the line. I find it interesting, however, that the student consensus is so strongly in favour of crossing a picket line. It makes me wonder how much of Osgoode’s reputation for progressive politics is deserved, if it dissipates so easily in the face of paying a price for it. I do not have exact numbers from the survey, however, and I’d love some.

The most significant outstanding question is how students will be accommodated if they don’t cross. I think it’s unconscionable that Osgoode isn’t officially meeting with these students until three days after classes resume. It’s a firm statement about where their priorities are at. And I suspect it’s a deliberate pressure tactic, to push as many students back to class as possible.

If this goes on long enough, I’ll seek direct commentary from the Law Society on the consequences that students face if their year is too severely disrupted. And I also anticipate some reporting from within that Dec. 3 meeting, should we get that far.

Expect another update either tomorrow or on Monday, when I’ve got a well-placed student who is willing to go on the record. Students who will not cross the line are apparently meeting tomorrow evening to discuss the issue amongst themselves.

As always, I hope for the sake of all students affected that this strike ends soon and my updates never appear. But with the failure of provincial mediation, that doesn’t appear likely at the moment.

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Questions and comments are welcome at jeff.rybak@utoronto.ca. In particular, I’d love to hear from more Osgoode students, and I respect your right to communicate off the record if you like. I’ll summarize your opinions as I have done with this update.

You know a strike lacks support when even The Toronto Star doesn’t get behind it

Thursday, on the first day of the strike, The Star‘s editorial board decided Friday’s editorial would be critical of the actions of CUPE 3903:

Union representatives say they’ll resume negotiations when the university makes a “serious offer.” In fact, the university’s final offer of 9.25 per cent over three years and other improvements was serious enough for two other campus groups – maintenance workers and clerical staff – who ratified similar contracts.

Given those recent settlements, and the fact that York’s teaching assistants already earn the highest wage in Canada, the latest offer seems in line with the tough economic times. The university’s proposal to settle the dispute through binding arbitration also seems a reasonable way to bring a quick close to this strike. The union has refused.

I wrote Thursday that the strike comes down to basically one issue: the length of the contract. CUPE wants a two year contract to position itself to shutdown most of Ontario’s universities in 2010. York U wants the standard three year agreement.

I’ve received an interesting array of comments and emails on my conclusion. A couple of people have called it conspiratorial and one person called it a ridiculous theory suggesting my opinion piece be removed.

I stand by my assessment and feel that the lack of willingness to accept arbitration by CUPE 3903 strengthens my argument.

If the dispute goes to arbitration, the union and university are well aware that an arbitator will look at the standard for agreements across Ontario. The union may get a little more compensation and may see a decrease in tuition fees for its members compared to the university’s most recent offer. In short, they will get much of what they are asking for. They only thing they are guaranteed to not get is a two year contract. The arbitrator will order a standard three-year agreement.

The only thing the union has to lose from arbitration is their plan to strike in 2010. Until the union’s two-year demand is off the table, there is no reason for the university to come to the table. Frankly, the university’s compensation offer is reasonable, and even The Star agrees with that assessment.

Most pro-union talking points include 2010 as an issue and the latest talking points I’m hearing are saying that the university is “stubborn” because it isn’t even moving on “non-monetary issues” such as length of contract.

Thankfully, for students and union members alike, the strike has a limited lifespan.

Everyone knows that the provincial government will not be able to sit on its hands and allow this strike to continue beyond January 2, 2009. The provincial legislature recesses for Christmas on December 11, 2009 and is not scheduled to return until the middle of February.

This means back-to-work legislation is likely to be introduced at the beginning of December. The only questions are when will it be introduced, will the NDP delay its passing based on principle, and will York U attempt to salvage a few instructional days prior to the Christmas break.

I do not have the answers to these questions.

I would expect the government to introduce the legislation at the last possible moment. Governments are loath to interfere in union disputes and only do so after having great pressure placed on them. The TTC strike is a rare case of the government acting quickly, and a great deal of the speed was the result of public outrage at the actions of the union.

As for the NDP, they will not vote in favour of back-to-work legislation, but will likely not interfere with the passage of a back-to-work order.

York University, if the strike lasts into December, will have to salvage as many days as they can during the Christmas break. While disruptive to Christmas break plans, the alternative is classes in May; a much worse scenario in the long term for York students.

For TAs, back-to-work legislation will result in arbitration. The only difference between arbitration now and then are all the wages and benefits they will lose during the intermediate period.

The real question is what will the rank and file TA do? Allow the union to keep them on the picket line until the government orders arbitration or force union leaders to accept the offer of arbitration? With even The Toronto Star coming out against the union, it must be clear to graduate students this strike is a lost cause; the only thing left for them to decide is how much damage they do to themselves in the process.

See also: More Maclean’s On Campus coverage of the York University labour dispute.

Poll Question

What should be done about hazing on campus?

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• If students want to join a frat, that's their choice (38%)
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This poll closes at 20:00 Eastern Standard Time on November 11, 2008