On June 11, the staff at the York University Staff Association (YUFA), represented by CUPE 1281, presented a focused set of proposals to strengthen protections against harassment and discrimination, advance equity and job security, and prioritize health and safety. These workers fight for the rights of full-time faculty, librarians & archivists, and postdoctoral visitors at York University every day.

In an unprecedented move, YUFA has hired external legal counsel to lead their negotiations. In the first meeting between the parties, YUFA stated that bargaining negotiations should remain confidential and behind closed doors, a practice that YUFA itself does not exercise in recent bargaining rounds with their own employer, York University. It would also mean that their bargaining team would remain less accountable to their membership. CUPE 1281 made it clear that we cannot agree to confidential bargaining with media blackouts.

YUFA’s opening package contains over 100 aggressive proposals aimed at restructuring the workplace and weakening our union by splitting the bargaining unit, reducing our rights to participate in our union, stripping anti-harassment and discrimination protections, and reducing job security, among many others.

We are dismayed and disappointed, but CUPE 1281 is committed to collective bargaining and reaching a fair and respectful agreement at the table. We look forward to the next bargaining sessions on June 25, July 9, July 14 and July 28.