The York administration has recently introduced a new funding model for graduate students that will all but eliminate Graduate Assistantships (GAs) at the university. In just one year, the number of GAs has dropped from over 700 to about 130. Even more will disappear next year.

Those GAs were represented by CUPE 3903. Under the new funding model, they will no longer be members of the union. It remains unclear who, if anyone, will now perform their work.

York's decision will have profound consequences for our members, many of whom are already feeling the effects of losing GA support. More members will feel the effects as the Fall semester gets underway.

YUFA is very concerned about the impact of this decision on our Collective Agreement. The most obvious impact is on workload, especially if YUFA members end up performing some or all of the work of their former GAs. Some members have reported that accommodations could be compromised. Others report that in-kind GA support for SSHRC-funded projects is under threat.

For more information on how the loss of GA support could affect YUFA members, please see this FAQ.

YUFA is calling on all members who are encountering any problems due to the dramatic reduction of GAs to contact the Association right away, outlining the nature of your problem and whether you received any notification about the reduction from York. Please email [email protected] (subject line: GAs).

Your responses are urgently needed to help YUFA craft a collective response to the university and to defend our members'  conditions of work and the integrity of teaching and research at York.

Thank you for your feedback.