On December 11, 2023, all unions on campus sent a proposal to the employer in regard to the past three years when due to Bill 124 (now no longer in force) wages were limited to a one percent (1%) increase each year. The salary of YUFA members has increased only minimally and considerably below the rate of inflation since 2021.
Yesterday, after 50 days, the employer responded stating that it is not willing to make a counteroffer or address the salary matters in the all-union proposal. In a divide and conquer tactic, the employer has stated it will no longer consider proposals from all unions, but rather only from each union individually.
York University is of the very few employers in the province that has not reached agreement to provide retroactive wage increases for the past three years. Last week, the Ontario government reached agreement with its major union, which saw increases of nearly 10% for this time period.
YUFA also notes that for the past three years salary increases of York management staff have not been limited to 1%. As such, most management staff have seen significant increases in compensation as reported by the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act. Moreover, the Ontario Auditor General in December revealed that over the past five years for senior administrators:
- compensation (salary, benefits, bonuses and stipends) increased by 47%
- salaries paid to Associate/Assistant Vice-Presidents increased by 73%
- salaries paid to Vice-Presidents increased by 48%
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the size of the senior administration increased by 37%
In a related development, members of CUPE 3903 have voted in favour of a strike mandate by a strong margin of 84%.
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