The CUPE 3903 Executive Committee is in solidarity with the staff at the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), who are represented by CUPE 1281. As of 12:01 AM on October 27, these staff have been forced into a strike to protect their basic and crucial priorities in bargaining. We call on YUFA to take bargaining with their staff seriously in order to secure a deal that is fair and equitable for the CUPE 1281 members who work to represent YUFA members.
We stand with the CUPE 1281 members’ fight to resist the contracting-out of staff work at YUFA—a practice which we have seen hurt and destabilize many other unions. YUFA has pushed to create the position of an Executive Director and in-house lawyer that would be outside of the CUPE 1281 bargaining unit. They are making this demand even in spite of staff having countered with a comprehensive proposal for an in-unit Staff Coordinator position and, in summer, bringing forward a costed-out proposal for an in-unit in-house lawyer.
These moves by YUFA are especially concerning when, as unions at York, we already know all too well the potential dangers when our employer invests in new management positions instead of their existing workers. In addition to weakening the YUFA staff’s bargaining unit, this demand would shift financial resources away from those who provide much needed front line union services to support York faculty. We call on YUFA to preserve their democratic principles and stop trying to expand management of their own staff in detrimental ways.
We also call on YUFA to genuinely engage with their staff’s health and safety proposals, especially the important provisions around harassment and discrimination. We believe that everyone should have the right to feel safe and respected in their workplace, with strong collective agreement language to uphold those rights. Having meaningful protections against harassment and discrimination is the standard that all workers deserve, and our struggles as workers are always intertwined. Leaving staff waiting while being in scheduled conciliation does not show an appropriate level of attentiveness and respect.
It is clear to us that the CUPE 1281 YUFA staff do not want to be on strike today; they want to continue supporting and defending YUFA members. As the CUPE 3903 Executive Committee, we recognize how critical staff services are in the current austerity climate that is harming members of all unions at York. YUFA has been admirable in advancing the interests of their members in the workplace; their staff deserve the same dignity and consideration. The conditions we sanction for others often become the conditions that we find ourselves being pressured to accept. CUPE 3903 and YUFA have a long history of mutual allyship based on a belief in workers’ rights and safe workplaces, so we urge YUFA to abide by their democratic values and reach a deal that respects the needs of their CUPE 1281 staff.
You can support the CUPE 1281 picket line located at Vari Hall on the main York Keele campus from 9 AM – 2 PM Monday, October 27 to Thursday, October 30 and 10 AM – 2 PM on Friday, October 31. You can also send YUFA a message telling them to bargain a fair deal!