Representatives from Students in Support of CUPE 3903 and JUST SAY NO TO STRIKE share their thoughts on the bargaining process
Yuni Kim
News Editor
@YuniKimchi
Who are you?
Students in Support of CUPE 3903
My name is Farshad Azadian. I’m one of the activists and a spokesperson for the group. I’m a fourth-year undergraduate psychology major.
JUST SAY NO TO STRIKE
I’m the co-founder of JUST SAY NO TO STRIKE. I’m a York graduate student, and part of CUPE 3903 Unit 3.
What is your intention with this group?
Support CUPE
We want to prevent the strike. The administration at the university tried to drive a wedge between students and workers last time, waited it out for several months, and allowed McGuinty to step in. This divide between students and workers resulted in a prolonged strike. None of the academics want to be on strike. They have bills to pay, too. Students and workers should be united to make the university listen. Shoukri makes nearly half a million each year. Give the workers a better deal, that’s our demand. Workers are expecting job security, and that’s unacceptable?
SAY NO
Our purpose is to provide students with information about the strike process that is not biased in a way that the CUPE updates are. They say things like “someone at the table is forgetting to bargain!” in their language. When they talked about the strike mandate vote, they told people just to vote yes. They never ask people to question or present alternatives. If you’re a client, we’re the ones signing their cheques. CUPE 3903 are employees, but also students. We are also encouraging students to prevent a strike before it happens.
What is your experience with strikes?
Support CUPE
I was at U of T, and I transferred during the period of the strike. Actually at U of T, our union was bargaining as well. We ran a similar campaign to support CUPE 3902, and we pressured the admin. Students and workers were together. We collected up to 1,400 online and paper petitions, we brought it to the university […] at U of T, we prevented a strike. But at York, you had this strike that harmed education, hurt the workers, and you had stepping on labour rights.
SAY NO
I suppose if all the students decided to side with the union, the university would give in. But if the students sided with the university […] I think it works both ways. Union members could have done a better job not polarizing students. If they want to block the road, that’s fine. But I don’t want to talk to them. I remember one time I drove up to the entrance [during the 2008 strike], and one union member didn’t stop knocking on my window until I opened it, and she gave me her spiel. It’s not a good way to get students on your side. CUPE 3903, as opposed to U of T’s CUPE 3902, has had a lack of skills as far as communicating with the community. They come off as abrasive and off-putting.
Has the student population been supportive?
Support CUPE
We’ve got a lot of support. We started over the past couple weeks, but already the NDP club, the sociology student association, and student activists support us. We started putting up posters and tabling, and a couple of dozen students are already on board.
SAY NO
I think people have used our website as individuals to vent about how they’re feeling. We haven’t had any groups approach us, but that’s not surprising because our point of view is an unpopular one at York University.
How can students participate?
Support CUPE
You should be mad. Students should be mad and do something about it. York admin isn’t willing to give academic workers—thousands of them—basic wages and job security. Our education is being compromised. We appeal to students and undergrads to get involved with our campaign.
SAY NO
We’d like to encourage people to take action in whatever way they can. On either side, I think the clear thing is that we resolve the situation. Write a letter to your MPP, use Facebook, tell your friends, spread the word. Let your perspective be heard.
