The strike date set for YUFA is March 24. Our negotiating team continues in its strong efforts to secure a settlement with the administration. This bulletin aims to clear up the Administration’s public statements on the university’s website appearing to speak for YUFA in updates for bargaining. This is misleading to the entire York community.

While it is encouraging that the employer is finally making its first salary offer, the employer is imposing a take all-or-nothing condition on this offer. It is important to note that YUFA asked the employer four months ago to confirm that they would agree to the 1% salary increase that has been routinely offered throughout Ontario's public sector during the Bill 124 "moderation" period. It was only after setting a strike deadline that we could receive such confirmation. Unfortunately, this was accompanied by a refusal to increase our annual PTR increment ($2750), which has remained frozen for 14 out of 15 consecutive years.

We view the current proposals by the employer as a sign that they are willing to engage. We will push for further progress in mediation sessions to be held in the days to come.

Where we are now: Key Stakes

• The employer says NO to YUFA’s proposal on reducing teaching loads of professorial and teaching stream colleagues to make them consistent with those of other universities despite mounting workload concerns.

• The employer says NO to unit and member autonomy in the decision to switch to alternative modes of delivery and rejects member rights to preserve pedagogic and academic goals in the context of public health and safety concerns.

• The employer says NO to compensating the disproportionate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)-related service work of Black, Indigenous, and racialized colleagues with a course release program.

• The employer says NO to YUFA proposals to secure timely, responsive, and effective accommodation processes that preserve the dignity of members with disabilities, or medical and care-giving needs.

• The employer says NO to members’ rights to privacy in communication and data storage and to the prevention of electronic monitoring of YUFA members without reasonable grounds communicated in writing.

• YUFA members have one of the weakest pension and retiree benefits packages in the sector. The employer says NO to improving pensions to make it commensurate with other universities.

• The employer says NO to increasing our Progress-Through-the-Ranks (PTR) increments; this means members’ salary growth falls below 1%. This will have a significant cumulative effect on member salaries, especially for colleagues in the early stages of their career, for whom lost income could approximately reach $30,000 +. See PTR backgrounder for more information.

It is incumbent on YUFA owes to get better responses from the employer to these member-driven proposals. Be assured that the Bargaining Team will keep mediating until an acceptable package is offered. We will also update members as new information arrives.

YUFA help to avoid a strike.

Please regularly consult the Strike FAQ page as it is being updated.

Please sign, send and share this letter to the senior administration.

Please share our student resources including the AMA (Ask Me Anything) site where they can get answers to their questions.

Show support for YUFA by sharing a variety of infographics and Zoom backgrounds here.