York Undergrads… Frustrated by the Strike?
Published on 17 Nov 2008 at 08:38 am
So Are We!
Why are we frustrated?
We’ve been at the bargaining table with York University’s administration since July, trying to get a fair contract for over 3000 contract faculty, teaching and graduate assistants. The administration has refused to present us with a reasonable contract offer and has forced us to go on strike. This was our last resort.
We are going without pay from York for as long as we are on strike, and most of our members are students who paid fees this term so this is neither fun nor economically stable for us.
The administration is trying to turn our students (and the public) against us by misrepresenting our needs and demands in the media.
Why are we on strike?
Our contract was up for renewal and we asked for job security for contract faculty, some of whom have been teaching at York for many years; fair wages for all; and funds to catch up with the growth in our membership since our last contract.
Right now we do more than half the teaching on campus but less than 10% of York’s budget goes to our contract. We want more money going into teaching and learning in the classroom. That’s what you pay for.
We want to negotiate a fair settlement but the University is effectively refusing to bargain.
CUPE 3903 members, as students and teachers, have no interest in disrupting classes. Education is what we do every day – it is our main concern and our job. For many us, our studies have also been interrupted.
Striking is our only option
Going on strike is our legal right and it’s the only option we have to pressure the administration to deal fairly with our membership.
You can help end the strike…
Send a direct message to York U President Mamdouh Shoukri by going to: http://cupe.ca/action/3903-york
Come out and march with us on the picket lines!
We’ll be at York’s Keele and Glendon campuses from 7am-7pm, Monday to Friday
Tell York what you think:
• Support your TAs, contract faculty and GAs in CUPE 3903.
• Value our teaching, support and research.
• Classroom teaching should be THE main priority in York’s budget.
• Negotiate at the bargaining table ASAP – NOT in the media.
• Respect CUPE 3903’s legal right to collective bargaining instead of using forced arbitration to score cheap PR points.
Write or call these people:
• Mamdouh Shoukri, President mshoukri@yorku.ca Tel: 416-736-5200 Fax: 416-736-5641
• Peter Sadlier-Brown, Special Advisor to the President, petersb@yorku.ca
• Ken Fasciano, Manager, Communications, fasciano@yorku.ca
Thanks for your support!
Website: 3903strike.ca
Video: cupestrikevideo.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=47385043800
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