YUFA has continued to negotiate for a fair and generous renewal Collective Agreement for our staff, who are represented by CUPE 1281. Despite the many concessions that YUFA, as employer, has offered over this bargaining round, we have been unable to reach settlement during  conciliation.  YUFA has taken up the generous offer of facilitation help from the Ontario Federation of Labour, and remains hopeful that the union will accept it.   But as of October 27, the staff has chosen to go on strike.

We are disappointed that 1281 has taken this extreme measure and we welcome them back to the table to bargain in good faith at any time.

Salary increases consistent with the annual Consumer Price Index. Our staff are highly valued for their expertise. Currently our staff are paid $155,184.85 annually, save for our sole Type 1 employee, who earns $128,008.51.

The 1281 Collective Agreement (attached) guarantees our staff generous benefits, secure retirement provisions, and among the most complete health and safety protections in the sector, much stronger than mandated by law. We continue to stand by these provisions. Employee health and safety is in no way threatened by our proposals. We are NOT stripping the generous 1281 Collective Agreement.

Staff have full political autonomy. We envision no layoffs and no major restructuring.

Staff are already guaranteed ample funding for leaves and professional development.  In response to 1281’s suggestions, we have agreed to their proposal for an additional PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAVE AND DEFERRED SALARY LEAVE, more generous in their provisions than the sabbatical provision in our own YUFA Collective Agreement.

We will be hiring an Executive Director and an in-house lawyer to strengthen and support the work of our union.   Because York University’s approach has been to litigate nearly everything of late, spiraling legal costs necessitate an in-house lawyer. This is the most cost-effective way to serve our members. Consistent with Ontario law, these positions will remain outside the bargaining unit. The Executive Director is, by law, considered a representative of the employer. Lawyers must be able to represent us all and to provide unfettered legal counsel.

The only provisions of the current Collective Agreement that we wish to change include minor modifications to the Contracting Out provision (clause 16.10 of the current CA ) in order to ensure that the in-house lawyer and Executive Director are able to do their work on behalf of our union. One of the functions of the Executive Director and In-House Counsel will be to ensure that health and safety provisions are enforced throughout the YUFA workplace. 

Here is the new language that YUFA is proposing: “No work regularly performed by Employees shall be contracted out or be performed by anyone other than Employees.  Persons not covered by this Agreement shall not perform work that is normally performed by employees covered by this Agreement.   An exception to this rule is when such work is performed by In-House Counsel or the Executive Director and the engagement does not result in the displacement, discharge, lay-off, or reduction of regular hours of work to Employees.”

Our offer is not only fair, but generous.

By contrast, 1281 continues to insist that oversight of staff performance be considered “harassment” (which is contrary to Ontario law) and that they be allowed to “refuse service to individuals” (in contravention of our legal obligation to fairly represent YUFA members). As noted earlier, these staff demands imperil equity and academic freedom and would severely impair our capacity to represent our members and actively defend our rights as workers, teachers, researchers, colleagues, and citizens.

We will do everything in our power to expedite a return to the bargaining table. In the meantime, we will continue to work collegially to enhance and defend our union.

During the strike, YUFA will continue to defend its members' rights, and our lawyers have assured us that they will continue working for YUFA.  We have no intention of cancelling any meetings, arbitrations, hearings, or any member supports.  Executive members will be answering phones and emails, backing up the Chief Stewards (besides Nancy Sangiuliano and Philippe Theophanidis, four additional Executive members have previously served as Chief Stewards), and we will make sure our members will have support in any legal meetings.   Of course we will miss our excellent staff,  but the Executive includes officers with a total of at least 12 decades of experience at York and extensive knowledge of the Collective Agreement, personal experience with grievances and arbitrations, and many years of working closely with YUFA staff on member support of all kinds.   YUFA’s elected officers are there for you!