Dear colleagues,
There may be a strike or lockout of CUPE workers as soon as this Monday, March 4 involving over 8,000 workers in five bargaining units represented by CUPE 3902 (TAs, CIs, Invigilators, etc., and Postdoctoral Fellows) and CUPE 3261 (Custodians, Maintenance Staff, Technicians, etc.). Key issues include fair wages, transit coverage, clearer work standards, and better health benefits. If you wish to support the efforts of these workers, you can add your voice to this e-action, or show your support by joining a picket line if there is a strike.
We invite you to a special UTFA all-member meeting tomorrow, Friday, March 1 from 2:30 to 4 PM, via Zoom. We will hear from the CUPE 3902 President and discuss the potential strike, and your rights concerning academic continuity, academic integrity, and academic freedom, including how to respond to pressures you may be facing to reconfigure courses and/or programs and how to address students’ concerns.
For additional background please see our earlier email on “Academic Continuity” and the Integrity of our Academic Mission in the event of a strike. UTFA has been pressing for significant changes to the Academic Continuity Policy since before the 2015 CUPE 3902 strike.
We warmly invite you to submit any questions you would like us to address tomorrow when you register here.
Sincerely,
Jeff Bale
UTFA Vice-President, University and External Affairs
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President