News

On October 29 2025, CUPE 1281 filed an unfair labour practice (ULP) complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) against the York University Faculty Association (YUFA).

The complaint argues that YUFA has failed to bargain in good faith with its staff, in contravention of the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

The crux of the issue is about what is called ‘scope’, i.e. who is covered by the collective agreement and benefits from union representation.

Throughout bargaining, YUFA sought changes to the Collective Agreement that would take work out of the bargaining unit. The employer’s goal is to hire an Executive Director outside of the bargaining unit, explicitly so that this non-union position could take over work regularly performed by staff without any restrictions.

Since August, YUFA made clear they would not bargain with the union unless these changes were agreed to, despite the fact that the Labour Board has long established that “it is a violation of the duty to bargain in good faith to bargain to the point of an impasse a proposal relating to the scope of the bargaining unit.”

While YUFA has withdrawn its proposal to explicitly change the scope clause, YUFA continues to push for proposals that would in effect create “non-bargaining unit positions doing bargaining unit work,”.

If YUFA “did not believe that the creation of these positions required effective amendments to the scope, YUFA would not have insisted on all of the various components of the Scope Proposal. It would have simply created these positions,” as the filing further explains.

The union has engaged with the employer’s stated concerns by providing counter-proposals to keep work inside the CUPE 1281 bargaining unit. YUFA rejected the union’s proposals and continued to demand the creation of positions that violate the scope of the bargaining unit. For a labour union to engage in such anti-worker behaviour is shameful and contrary to their stated commitments.

Given YUFA’s ongoing refusal to meaningfully bargain, CUPE 1281 had no choice but to commence a strike on October 27, 2025.

YUFA staff remain on strike to protect job security and prevent work from leaving the bargaining unit, and to secure protections against harassment and discrimination and improve staff health and safety.

On October 22, staff represented by CUPE 1281 and the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) met for a third time with a Ministry of Labour appointed conciliator. Instead of moving negotiations forward and responding to CUPE 1281’s counter-offer, YUFA’s bargaining team squandered over two weeks between conciliation dates and left CUPE 1281 waiting for the entire day of conciliation. Their eventual response, delivered in the evening, ignored the Union’s significant movements on October 7. YUFA also refused to meaningfully engage with CUPE 1281’s core issues: health and safety and job security.

CUPE 1281 provided a comprehensive response at the last conciliation date on October 7, including a proposal for a Staff Coordinator position. This proposal directly addresses the tasks that the Employer envisions its Executive Director would do. The Union counter-proposed the hire of an in-house lawyer earlier in the summer. Both of these counter-proposals keep work within 1281’s bargaining unit and preserve the democratic principles and structures of YUFA.

Disappointingly, in the proposal that the employer finally provided to the union at 7pm on October 22, YUFA rejected both counter-proposals and continued to demand an Executive Director and in-house lawyer outside of the CUPE 1281 bargaining unit, even while assigning these positions duties and tasks covered by the collective agreement.

YUFA’s approach irresponsibly diverts resources away from frontline services for members so it can expand management, weaken the staff union, and undermine the very democratic structures YUFA proudly advocates across the university sector.

YUFA’s approach leaves CUPE 1281 with fewer and fewer options. YUFA is pushing its staff toward a strike on Monday, October 27.

Despite YUFA playing hardball, CUPE 1281 remains committed to reaching a fair and satisfactory deal that averts a disruptive strike and allows staff to continue supporting YUFA members and strengthening the faculty association. The union has conveyed to YUFA that the union will make itself available to exchange meaningful proposals over the weekend to avoid a strike.

It’s not too late to make sure CUPE 1281 staff at YUFA show up to work on Monday morning rather than a picket line.

Deliver a strong message to YUFA’s bargaining team and Executive Committee members – President Ellie Perkins, VP Internal Art Redding, VP External Anna Zalik, Equity Officer Ena Dua, Recording Secretary Merouan Mekouar and Prof. Gertrude Mianda – and tell them to return to the bargaining table with a fair deal and avoid a strike.

The staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) sent the letter below to YUFA members earlier today. Today is the last scheduled day of conciliation, but as we feared, the employer is not taking it seriously. There may very well be a strike due to their inaction.

CUPE 1281 YUFA Sub-local staff are writing to you with a live update from conciliation

As many of you may know, this is the final day of conciliation before Monday, October 27, when YUFA staff will be in a legal strike position.

Over the two weeks since our last conciliation date, staff have proactively tried to get a package in response to the union’s counter sent October 7, 2025. We were proactively reaching out to the YUFA bargaining team before the final day of conciliation in an attempt to make full and productive use of this final day of conciliation. We were unsuccessful in those efforts.

Instead, we have been waiting since 10:00 am this morning for YUFA’s counter. We are still waiting.

Staff also learned that YUFA is taking an hour out of today’s conciliation to have a drop in session to speak to its members about bargaining with staff from 12pm to 1pm.

YUFA staff are urging concerned members to make time today at noon to attend some or all of that planned YUFA drop in session.

Please tell YUFA’s bargaining team to take bargaining seriously, and to turn their full attention to today’s conciliation.

Sincerely,
CUPE 1281 Staff at YUFA

You can tell the YUFA executive to stop playing games and bargain a fair deal!

The staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), represented by CUPE 1281, are mere days away from a strike deadline. Conciliation is ongoing, but the union has serious concerns about how seriously the employer is taking negotiations, given that they have yet to table their monetary proposals and are planning to hold an event at the same time as conciliation.

Divided Attention

The union and employer are scheduled to meet with the government-appointed conciliator on October 22nd. On the same day, YUFA Executive officers announced an online public drop-in meeting with YUFA members to publicly discuss their bargaining with CUPE 1281.

Scheduling this event during conciliation shows a troubling lack of focus. Time is running out to bargain a fair deal; both parties need to be at the table with their full commitment.

Monetary Proposals Not Yet Tabled

After months of bargaining, the employer has yet to present any monetary proposals. They have maintained “reserves”, i.e. the right to present proposals at a later date, on the parts of the collective agreement that deal with monetary issues, including wages. While it is common for employers to reserve monetary proposals in the early stages of bargaining, it is both unusual and counterproductive to keep reserves on monetary items at such a late stage in the bargaining process.

On the previous conciliation date of October 7th, CUPE 1281 provided another full proposal package which highlighted the union’s key proposals of improved protections against harassment and discrimination in the workplace, resisting managerial bloat and union busting, along with improving job security and layoff provisions.

CUPE 1281 is still waiting for the employer’s response to the union’s latest comprehensive proposal package.

Strike Position as of October 27th

Both the employer’s divided attention and their lack of engagement with monetary and union proposals are particularly worrisome given that the staff at YUFA will be in a legal strike position as of October 27th.

A “no board” report was filed by the Ministry of Labour on October 9th. After a 17-day waiting period, the union is in a legal position to walk off the job if negotiations remain stalled.

Despite how far apart the parties remain in bargaining, CUPE 1281 remains committed and focused. We will use the day of conciliation on October 22nd as productively as possible. CUPE 1281 believes that a fair settlement can be reached and a strike averted. We call on the YUFA Executive to show the same commitment on this last scheduled day of talks before October 27th.

Sign this e-action now and urge the YUFA Executive to settle a fair and equitable contract without union-busting concessions.

YUFA staff held a practice picket on October 6.

After months of bargaining and following the first day of conciliation on October 3, CUPE 1281, representing staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), requested a “No Board” report from the Ministry of Labour conciliator. This step is taken when negotiations reach an impasse and allows the Union to be in a legal strike position 17 days after the Ministry formally issues the report if no agreement is reached.

CUPE 1281 has worked very hard to move talks forward after YUFA stalled discussions. The first day of conciliation on October 3 was consumed entirely by YUFA’s push to create an Executive Director. This new managerial position would be outside the bargaining unit, causing the erosion of collaborative workplace structures and the weakening of the staff collective agreement. Additionally, YUFA had no explanation regarding how it would afford this position, raising the possibility of job losses.

Conversely, the Union’s demands for stronger protections against harassment and discrimination, and meaningful job security, were left unanswered or outright rejected.

Despite these misgivings about the Executive Director, on October 7 the Union tried to work with the Employer’s stated goals while being mindful of YUFA’s budget by presenting a counter proposal for a staff coordinator model. This model would be similar to YUFA’s own model where departmental chairs retain bargaining unit membership.

The Union draws a hard line when it comes to maintaining consultative and democratic union practices, the scope of staff duties, and continues to seek stronger protections for meaningful job security and against harassment and discrimination.

The employer has not responded. They have also yet to respond to CUPE 1281’s counter proposal tabled in August that keeps the staff lawyer demanded by the Employer inside the bargaining unit. YUFA has publicly claimed it dropped 45 proposals. While this is progress after months of intransigence, they entered conciliation with more than 100 proposals on the table, and the proposals that remain continue to push top-down, union-busting restructuring, threatening both staff health and safety and job security. YUFA has yet to table their monetary proposals, where they could introduce new concessions.

A third conciliation session has been scheduled for October 22. CUPE 1281 believes that an expeditious and fair settlement can be reached if YUFA reciprocates by making significant movements on the Union’s key proposals and dropping all union busting concessions. We invite YUFA to take conciliation seriously and come to the table in good faith on October 22.

On October 3 and 7, CUPE 1281 – the union representing the staff who work for the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), will be meeting with a Ministry of Labour appointed conciliator. Unfortunately, the parties remain far apart. The YUFA Executive continues to misrepresent both their own proposals and those of the staff, while circulating misinformation to YUFA’s members.

To ensure transparency and factual accuracy, we are sharing a letter sent to all YUFA members on September 24, which includes both the most recent full proposal packages from CUPE 1281 and from YUFA.

Throughout bargaining, staff at YUFA have been transparent about our challenges in the workplace and our goals to protect our job security against top-down restructuring, harassment, and discrimination. CUPE 1281 staff have been reaching out to YUFA members in advance of conciliation, urging YUFA members to contact their bargaining team to bargain fairly with staff.

YUFA’s proposals aim to weaken the staff union and roll back hard-won rights. In contrast, CUPE 1281’s proposals are modest and aimed at improving workplace health, safety and wellbeing. YUFA’s concessionary package seeks to:

• change the definition of the bargaining unit to allow non-union hiring and contracting out, including scabbing
• remove staff participation from key YUFA meetings and silence staff voices
• strip anti-harassment and anti-discrimination protections from the collective agreement, and
• delete safeguards against electronic monitoring, abuse of management authority, and other essential protections.

The changes YUFA is seeking as an employer would ultimately undermine YUFA as a certified trade union itself. By attacking and weakening its staff’s collective agreement, YUFA undermines its own ability to defend against the actions of its own employer (York University) and pushes the broader labour movement several steps backwards. These actions also erode YUFA’s credibility and undercut any claims it may make to intra-union solidarity at York or within the broader labour movement.

YUFA staff play a pivotal role in defending the rights of YUFA members. Why is YUFA not defending its staff?

Sign this e-action now and urge the YUFA Executive to settle a fair and equitable contract without union-busting concessions.

The staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) are facing over 100 employer proposals that would gut their collective agreement protections from harassment, allow the same electronic monitoring YUFA fought against with York, reduce rights to union representation and participation and exclude staff from meetings that are essential to their work, among many others.

YUFA has spent dues on a high-profile law firm to lead its bargaining. This is not something a union should do. They also propose to direct resources away from front-line services to pay for expensive managers. This will slow down servicing and harm YUFA’s credibility and bargaining position when their own members face their employer.

Send the YUFA Executive Committee a letter demanding they reverse course and bargain a fair agreement free of concessions and top down restructuring, which prioritizes both fairness and equity for staff and the needs of YUFA members.

For more information on the YUFA staff and what they do, see this page.