On Wednesday, December 3, striking staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) met with the employer and the government-appointed conciliator for the first time since the strike began on October 27th. Some progress was made, which gave the union hope for a resolution to the strike. CUPE 1281 made a third pass in the afternoon but unfortunately by the end of the day, the parties remained at an impasse.

Job Security Still Under Threat

YUFA has now officially withdrawn its proposals to amend the scope of the collective agreement. This is a much necessary step towards a resolution. However, they have not withdrawn the job they have posted, which clearly indicates that they intend to proceed with hiring managers who would undeniably do the work of the bargaining unit.

Hoping to work with the employer, the union proposed some options to ensure that disputes about managerial positions are resolved promptly and that these hires will not impact job security for the unionized staff. CUPE 1281 proposed stronger language to protect the staff complement, improve layoff provisions, including an order where union-excluded positions will be laid off first.

YUFA did not engage with key elements of these job security proposals.The conciliator advised the union that YUFA had no appetite to continue bargaining after three passes, and the day was called at 6pm.

Health and Safety Remains a Sticking Point

YUFA has indicated that they expect all existing grievances on harassment and discrimination to be dropped to reach an agreement. However, they were reportedly not willing to discuss any of the proposals regarding staff’s health and safety, including harassment and discrimination provisions. Obviously, harassment is a serious issue and those grievances can only be dropped as part of bargaining if real solutions are reached at the table.

The Way Forward

Job security and health and safety remain at the crux of the union’s demands. CUPE 1281 is grateful for the support and advocacy from the labour movement and community activists in pressuring YUFA to drop proposals that would negatively impact the scope of our work. It is in recognition of this move that CUPE 1281 made significant movement to settle the strike so that we can return our joint focus to defending YUFA members’ against York University’s top-down restructuring. It is disappointing that YUFA continues to push top-down restructuring of its own, and leave its staff out on the picket line.

Nonetheless, we see a way forward. The union has proposed that the parties seek assistance of a third party mediator and is awaiting a response from YUFA.