York University strike ends as members accept latest offer

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

A strike at York University is over after teaching assistants and other students workers voted to accept the school’s latest offer Tuesday.

Units 1 and 3 of CUPE 3903, the union representing the striking graduate students, voted overwhelmingly to ratify the university’s latest collective agreement.

The ratification vote ends a labour dispute that began March 3.

Union members voted at the Rexall Centre, near York University’s campus, days after a tentative agreement was reached with the university.

The union stated the employer’s latest offer was accepted because it “addresses three core demands of the union,” including wage increases and the creation of a LGBTQ employment equity group.

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.

A similar strike by teaching assistants and other workers at the University of Toronto ended last week 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.