Yesterday, on March 23, 2022, the York University Faculty Association YUFA) announced the ratification of the tentative agreement. With the hard work of faculty members and the administration, an agreement has been made and the potential strike was successfully avoided.
The total number of ballots casted were 1343: 1212 members voted “yes” and 126 voted “no.”
When reached for comment, YUFA’s communication officer, Jody Berland, refers Excalibur to YUFA’s official statement posted today.
“Our collective efforts in mobilizing a strong strike vote helped to defend our collective agreement against unacceptable concessions. They also helped our Bargaining Team win important improvements in the challenging context of the provincial wage restraint legislation,” reads YUFA’s online statement, which then goes on to congratulate the YUFA bargaining team and members
Yanni Dagonas, York’s Deputy Spokesperson directs Excalibur to the community updates for further information on the agreement.
YUFA member Cameron Graham, professor of accounting at the Schulich School of Business, shares their thoughts and relief on the aversion of the potential strike. “I am greatly relieved that a strike has been averted, but I do not understand why it took the threat of a strike to bring the administration to the bargaining table. Faculty were extraordinary when the pandemic hit, going far beyond contractual expectations to help the university rescue the winter 2020 term for our students. At that time, both faculty and the administration demonstrated great care for students.”
“The threat of a strike was clearly effective at getting the administration’s attention, just as our union leaders told us it would be. The administration’s unwillingness to bargain over the past year has only served to reinforce the threat of a strike as an effective bargaining tactic, and that seems like a sad outcome when many faculty members want a more positive employment relationship,” Graham continues.
After a long period of angst and stress, students and faculty can be at ease with the news of the potential strike not occurring.
