Tentative agreement reached to end strike at York University

Striking teaching assistants and contract faculty are seen outside York University on Tuesday, March 3, 2015.

A strike by teaching assistants and other student workers at York University could soon be over after a tentative agreement was reached Sunday.

CUPE 3903, the union representing the striking graduate students, have accepted a tentative agreement, which will still need to be ratified by members in order to end the labour dispute that began March 3.

The ratification vote is expected to take place on Monday or Tuesday.

Faiz Ahmed, chair of CUPE 3903, says he is “very satisfied” with what he calls a “historical agreement.”

“This is really going to put a lot of pressure on Queen’s Park to increase funding to all universities,” he adds.

In a statement the union sent to its “comrades” on Sunday evening, the union stated the employer’s latest offer was accepted because it “addresses three core demands of the union.”

First, members’ tuition would be indexed to the 2012 rate. “This means that if tuition fees for domestic or internationals students rise above 2012 rates – which are the same as the 2005 rates – the university will increase funding for all in program and incoming students to offset the tuition fee increase,” according to the statement.

Second, a LGBTQ employment equity group would be created.

And third, student workers would also receive an increase to “summer minimum funding, from $1,750 to $3,000 … in addition to previously agreed wage increases,” the union says.

All classes were originally cancelled at York, but most resumed after the unit of CUPE 3903 that represents contract faculty accepted a tentative agreement to return to work on March 11.

The York University student workers who continued to strike after March 11 sought an increase to the approximately $15,000 minimum funding package they receive for part-time work while studying full-time.

Richard Wellan, president of the York University Faculty Association (which did not go on strike) said Sunday that the walk-out had caused a lot of confusion among students and professors.

He said there will still likely be some extension to the term, even if teaching assistants go back to work soon.

A similar strike by teaching assistants and other workers at the University of Toronto ended on Thursday after CUPE 3902 members agreed to binding arbitration.

University of Toronto teaching assistants previously rejected two tentative agreements. The latest offer would have raised funding packages at U of T to $17,500 from $15,000.