FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-CUPE 3903 Negotiations Update
Published on 30 Nov 2008 at 11:18 am 
UNION REQUESTS CONTINUED TALKS AS YORK UNIVERSITY STONEWALLS
November 30, 2008 - TORONTO, Ont.
CUPE 3903 has requested a continuation of talks with York University on 
Tuesday, December 2, but union officials say university negotiators are 
holding up an agreement by refusing to address the key issues at stake in 
the strike.
The two sides met for three days last week and some progress was made, but 
union representatives say university negotiators have stubbornly skirted 
their main concerns: job security for contract faculty, a reinstatement of 
benefits and funds to 2005 levels, and subsistence wages adequate for the 
cost of living in Toronto.
?York would rather sit back, fold their hands and let 50,000 students lose 
their term than make us a workable offer to take to our members,? said 
union spokesperson Rafeef Ziadah.
Members of CUPE 3903 do more than half the classroom teaching at York yet 
their contract represents just 7.5% of the university?s $848 million 
annual budget. Even as the economy slows, revenues are growing as a result 
of tuition fee hikes, increased graduate enrolments, bigger provincial 
transfers, and donations to the York University Foundation, according to 
the university?s own recent financial documents.
?Hiding behind the current economic recession is downright deceptive,? 
said union member Katherine Nastovski. ?They?re obviously putting the 
classroom at the bottom of their priorities, so we want to know where the 
fees paid by hardworking parents and students, tax dollars and public 
fundraising are going.?
Ziadah says she finds the attitude of the York administration and 
negotiators toward employees and students ?shocking.? ?What is the 
university?s game here?? she asked. ?We are indispensable educators at 
York and we?re asking for peanuts relative to the university budget. Their 
four-year accumulated surplus of $139.9 million by itself is worth twice a 
much as our annual contract of $62.5 million.?
?Before encouraging the province to get involved, we need to see some 
leadership from our new university president,? said Nastovski. ?President 
Shoukri needs to step in and press his negotiators to get serious at the 
bargaining table. ?It?s time to stop spending precious university funds on 
high priced lawyers and public relations flacks and start valuing students 
and educators by showing some goodwill and negotiating a fair contract,? 
she added.
The union representing 3,400 teaching assistants, contract faculty, 
graduate and research assistants has been on strike since November 6.
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For more information, contact CUPE 3903 Communications:
Rafeef Ziadah 416-616-4796
Katherine Nastovski 416-828-3851
Punam Khosla 416-779-3032