Behind closed doors, CUPE 3903 and the university worked to end the months-long strike. On April 19, CUPE members voted to ratify the university’s latest offer. As the semester and the strike draw to an end, Excalibur dives into the timeline of events from the beginning of the strike to the end and its impacts on the York community.
Prior to the strike, there were discrepancies in how the negotiation process between York and CUPE 3903 was represented, with both parties releasing public statements about feeling misrepresented by one another.
Dan Bradshaw, assistant vice president of labour relations, wrote: “We were disappointed to learn via the conciliation officer that CUPE 3903 will not be attending our scheduled bargaining meeting on the morning of February 23. With the end of the Union’s requested no board period approaching, the University regards all our scheduled bargaining sessions as important to our efforts to conclude collective agreements.”
To this, the CUPE 3903 bargaining team responded: “We are disappointed that you have chosen to blatantly misrepresent the facts in your recent public letter instead of making meaningful movement at the table.”
This was not the first time information from York contradicted news shared by the union. At the beginning of the strike, the university claimed its proposals went “unanswered by CUPE 3903” — a statement CUPE representatives characterized as blatantly “false.”
Ultimately, the strike commenced shortly afterwards on February 26.
With March came a number of developments, but also a continued trend of conflicting information from both sides of the bargaining table. Bradshaw released an official email addressing the CUPE 3903 bargaining team, regarding negotiations on March 27.
“It has become clear to the University, especially following the mediated negotiating sessions of March 24 and 25, that we will not be able to achieve an agreement with CUPE 3903 given the Union’s current positions on substantive issues and its inability to provide timely responses during bargaining.”
In response to Bradshaw’s email, the union commented that while there was progress in the negotiations, they still felt displeased with York’s response.
CUPE 3903 wrote: “The two bargaining sessions on March 24 and 25 achieved significant progress, with the Union and Employer reaching agreement on more than 20 proposals. At the end of those two days, at 6 p.m. on March 25, we presented a new comprehensive package to the Mediators. The Employer has yet to provide a response to that package or answer our questions in regards to those proposals. Contrary to what you have shared with the community, we do see a path to a settlement; but the Employer must be willing to come to the table.”
When asked how students are expected to navigate this conflicting information, York Deputy Spokesperson Yanni Dagonas explained that “York is committed to providing regular and up to date information that can help navigate the impacts that the labour disruption is having on students.”
The battle for public perception divided the student community at York. Some felt the TAs and contract faculty were to blame for the delay in their academics. A student who wishes to remain anonymous comments: “I hope CUPE 3903 realizes no one takes them seriously and realizes York forced their hand. They achieved nothing over a two month period.”
Others directed their frustration towards the administration instead. “I was really disappointed in York’s admin! They had the choice to end this whole thing nicely with little to no sacrifice, and instead they decided to use our lives and academic progress as bargaining chips for their own sake,” says Kore, a second-year philosophy student.
Sandy, a second-year communications and media studies student feels the strike was handled poorly by the university. “There was far too much unnecessary confusion considering York has experienced strikes quite frequently. One would think that this school would be better versed at handling them. However, we were proven wrong.”
As we entered April, the university released new grading options for students hoping to graduate this year. With the assessed grades option available, students who completed 70 per cent of their coursework were granted some certainty amidst the suspended courses.
Although the labour disruption impacted much of York’s operations, the campus remained open during the strike with some union members returning to work before a final agreement with the employer had been reached. According to a document from York’s Senate meeting on March 14, “647 individual assignments have been resumed by CUPE members through back to work declarations.”
Sources explained that the union was aware of its members continuing to work during the strike. However, they stressed that despite these developments, they did not hinder the union’s ability to negotiate in any way. Union members were given the option to continue working, and did not seem to face any backlash for their decision.
Meanwhile, students started a petition for a full tuition refund for the period of lost instruction due to the strike. As of April 20, over 7,000 students have signed the petition.
Brittany, a third-year social work student, feels the strike “greatly impacted [her] trust in the university and [her] views on how reliable the admins run the school.” She also shares that due to the labour disruption, she has lost out on employment opportunities, which has affected her current situation.
“Students [should be] given alternative assignments to complete as a way to make up for lost time and marks. Sufficient time and accommodations must be prioritized to the students affected by the strike.I’d prefer to finish the remaining time virtually. I will not waste my time and money to come on campus after this as they did not consider it during the strike,” adds Brittany.
Sophia, a health and society student who is looking to graduate this year, shares a similar sentiment: “I’m starting full time employment after the exam period in April, so I don’t know how I feel about jumping back into my courses. I want this to be over, I want to finish up, but I don’t even know when I’ll have the time for it.”
On April 6, all hopes were on the latest round of negotiations to end the strike. CUPE 3903 was optimistic about the outcome, “We have yet to hear from the mediators but assume they will support the will of both parties to return to the table.”
On April 19, it was announced that CUPE 3903 members had voted to ratify the agreement reached by York and the union’s bargaining teams. In an open letter, CUPE announced: “On April 19th, 2024, over 1,700 members of CUPE 3903 participated in the ratification vote of a tentative Comprehensive Framework for Settlement.” Later, this number was amended to 1,572 members who had voted.
With all three units of CUPE 3903 voting in favour of ratifying the agreement — which is valid for the next three years — the eight-week-long strike concluded and work would resume on Monday, April 22.
Video credit: Jeanette Williams and Ben Glover
