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York U Still On Strike

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

7 Comments

Written by Scott Gilbert

Everyone was hoping for an end to the strike at York University before the winter semester began, but nothing has changed as of yet. Talks continue today between the university administration and the striking staff, while the 50,000 undergrads await word on the fate of their academic year.

CUPE local 3903 wants more job security, and fair wages, while the university says they are unable to provide it. Both sides have just recently resumed talks after a month with no dialogue.

There is a new 24/7 protest outside university president Mamdouh Shoukri's office where 25 students and strikers have set up a sit-in and are demanding Shoukri coordinate a forum in the coming days with the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 3903, to answer students' questions.

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  1. Posted by: itshardtopost on Jan 6, 2009 @ 6:29pm

    Fair wages? They make $36/hr, I'd say that's pretty fair for a traditionally low paid position (TAs).

  2. Posted by: disappointed on Jan 7, 2009 @ 12:42pm

    this is just...lame
    like, w/ the economy the way it is, why are they asking for MORE money? dont they see they are lucky for having these jobs to begin w/? they are lucky theres a union cuz id fire their asses and pay people tht actually appreciate this very nice salary (if 36/hr is actually true).

  3. Posted by: theBULLRING on Jan 8, 2009 @ 3:22pm

    poor UG students of YORKU, a year basically wasted.

  4. Posted by: Chris on Jan 9, 2009 @ 12:23pm

    It's unreal how there are students out supporting the strike with the whiners, sorry, strikers.

    Blind idealism getting in the way of common sense. It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad.

  5. Posted by: John L on Jan 10, 2009 @ 12:22am

    Keep in mind that RA/TA jobs aren't meant to be a career so the claim that it obliges folks to live in poverty is a bit dubious. What they are are part-time jobs meant to offer people on income while completing their graduate work. Equally nice is the opportunity to work on-campus and in their area of study.
    All in all not a bad gig.

  6. Posted by: Polina on Jan 12, 2009 @ 4:54pm

    I talked to one of the striking TAs recently and she said that it's not widely known, but there are also lots of faculty members striking.
    their biggest issue is that they have no job security, a.k.a people with PHDs don't know if they will keep their jobs year to year. The TAs support them mostly because they will be in their shoes one day. It takes a long time to become a tenured professor.

  7. Posted by: George on Jan 13, 2009 @ 9:16am

    …and it should take a long time to become a tenured professor. A tenured professor is quite the liability for a university. Most tenured professors play fairly and don’t say things that get the university in trouble. Others run their mouth off and there is little the university can do to stop them if they are tenured. I don’t blame the university for screening professors for several years with contracts before tenure.

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