Group asks gov’t to pass back-to-work legislation if no agreement is reached
A group representing close to 4,000 York University students is demanding that CUPE 3903 and university administration set a firm deadline for the completion of negotiations designed to end a two-month-long strike at the university.
“Negotiations do nothing for students unless they end the strike,” says Lyndon Koopmans, an organizer for YorkNotHostage.com. “We cannot accept protracted negotiations that prolong the strike and threaten the school year. There must be an end to the negotiations, and an end to the strike.”
YorkNotHostage.com is proposing that negotiations conclude by Thursday, Jan. 15, at which point the strike will have lasted for 10 weeks. Under the proposal, any issues that have not been resolved in negotiations will be submitted to voluntary binding arbitration. This would result in an immediate end of the strike and permit classes to resume the following week.
The group says that if accepted by both parties, these measures will ensure that classes can resume at York University by Monday, Jan. 19.
Members of CUPE Local 3903 are set to meet at a general members meeting at 5:00 p.m EST today.
YorkNotHostage.com says it has also forwarded its proposal to Premier Dalton McGuinty, asking the premier to recall the legislature and pass back-to-work legislation if the union and the university do not accept their plan.