what’s the deal with the strike?

So what happens during a strike anyway?

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hey there,

good question. on the eve of an impending strike, i’ve talked to more than one student who’s stressed themselves to hysteria over the possibility of a strike by CUPE 3902 Unit 1. so why not shed some light on the situation?

THE SET-UP

so, who the heck are these strikers in the first place? CUPE stands for the Canadian Union of Public Employees. 3902 is the number representing the university of toronto.

three CUPE 3902 units have entered into negotiations in the past few months: Unit 1 (all Post-Doctoral Fellows, graduate students in the School of Graduate Studies and undergraduate students in the University of Toronto employed as teaching assistants, teaching fellows, demonstrators, tutors, markers, instructors, teaching laboratory assistants, Chief Presiding Officers, invigilators and part-time lecturers), Unit 3 (all non-student academic staff employed on contracts of less than one-year as lecturers, demonstrators, tutors, markers, graders or instructors or laboratory assistants) and Unit 5 (post-doctoral fellows).

Units 3 and 5 have both negotiated settlements. Unit 1 has not yet negotiated a settlement, though the university has said that it is “fully committed to achieving a negotiated settlement for a renewal collective agreement with CUPE 3902 Unit 1 without a labour disruption, and has reason to believe that the parties will be able to do so.”

THE STRIKE

now, onto your question. what happens during a strike?

well, firstly and most importantly: the university WILL NOT CLOSE (FAQs for Students, #4). most of your classes will likely continue (FAQs for Students, #5). again, only certain instructors and TAs are represented by Unit 1, so classes run by professors will continue as planned.

as well, even people who ARE represented by Unit 1 are still allowed to work (FAQs For Employees In The CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Bargaining Unit, #1) – though of course, this is not something we can or should expect, and will depend on the individual. make sure you’re checking Blackboard regularly for updates about your particular lectures/labs/tutorial sections.

since your classes may or may not continue as planned, it is important to check Blackboard regularly for updates (this is referenced throughout the FAQs for Students).

as to how and when class will continue in the event of a strike, that’s something the university isn’t able to answer at the moment (that’s aska’s subtle way of saying: don’t speculate! it’s not helpful in any way). however, they are aware of the possibility of a strike impeding students’ studies, and are doing their best to make sure the effect is minimal.

question #23 of the FAQs for Students makes that pretty clear: “The University is committed to enabling its students to complete their program requirements in a timely fashion, and is aware of the particular needs and concerns of students intending to graduate this spring. We will be providing further communications if a strike occurs, and we will do our utmost to ensure that students are able to complete their degree requirements within the usual timeframe.”

and yes: you should still complete the work that’s been assigned to you, unless your instructor has informed you otherwise (FAQs for Students, #19). sorry to crush your dreams .

THE COVERAGE

if you’d like to keep up with info about the strike, Blackboard and uoft’s FAQ are the best places to go.

however, there’s also been coverage by The Varsity, The Star and CBC. if you’re an undergrad student and want to get involved, check out this facebook group.

THE SIGN-OFF

all the best,

aska