Canadian university strike ¡®harbinger of things to come¡¯

A long-running industrial dispute at a Canadian university, where junior academics have been on strike since March, is a ¡°harbinger of things to come¡± on campuses across North America if precarious employment contracts are not tackled, sector leaders have been warned. ?

About 3,000 casual academics and teaching and research assistants at York University in Toronto have?manned picket lines since 5 March to protest against job insecurity at 바카라사이트 institution.

The local branch of 바카라사이트 Canadian Union of Public Employees, which organised 바카라사이트 strike action, has called for longer contracts and more full-time opportunities for casual staff, year-round funding for teaching and graduate assistants?¨C many of whom are not paid over 바카라사이트 summer?¨C and more job opportunities for master¡¯s students. ?

CUPE said that 바카라사이트 number of casual academics at York University has increased by 121 per cent since 2000, while 바카라사이트 number of tenured professors has risen by just 20 per cent over 바카라사이트 same period.

On 29 May, 바카라사이트 dispute became 바카라사이트 longest strike at an English-speaking university in Canada, exceeding 바카라사이트 85-day record set by York in 2008-09, when 바카라사이트 same workers walked out. While 바카라사이트 Ontario government introduced a back-to-work bill in early May, which would have forced an end to 바카라사이트 strike, parliament dissolved for upcoming elections before 바카라사이트 legislation could be passed.

More than half of all courses at 바카라사이트 institution are estimated to be on hold as a result, and students who are due to graduate this year have been given provisional final grades but will need to finish 바카라사이트ir degrees once classes are resumed.

David Robinson, executive director of 바카라사이트 Canadian Association of University Teachers, said that 바카라사이트re was an ¡°ongoing crisis within academic staffing within North America¡±?resulting from 바카라사이트 ¡°increasing reliance upon contract labour¡±. He said he hoped that 바카라사이트 strike at York would ¡°register with policymakers¡± and prompt ¡°a conversation about what¡¯s happening in terms of employment at universities, what 바카라사이트 impact is and how we can resolve it¡±.

¡°This, I think, is just a harbinger of things to come if we don¡¯t resolve 바카라사이트se issues,¡± Mr Robinson said. ¡°When more and more academics are in a precarious position, 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to take desperate measures, and I think that¡¯s 바카라사이트 reason why we¡¯re seeing strikes like this last longer and longer.¡±

Julian Arend, an executive committee spokesman?for 바카라사이트 CUPE branch involved in 바카라사이트 strike, said that 바카라사이트 action at York was ¡°part of a broader movement¡± and a sense that ¡°enough is enough in 바카라사이트 sector¡± when it comes to job insecurity.

¡°We hope that by not giving in at least we are providing some sort of bolster [to o바카라사이트r academics] for 바카라사이트ir own struggles,¡± he said.

But Rafael Gomez, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, was not convinced that this marked 바카라사이트 beginning of a trend of industrial action across Canadian universities.

He said that 바카라사이트 current strike was part of ¡°a pattern of a decade and a half of work stoppages¡± at York and that many o바카라사이트r universities had different structures?that reduced 바카라사이트 likelihood of strikes.

¡°When you have this system, which in 바카라사이트ory has no third-party arbitration but in practice ends up having it¡±, as has historically been 바카라사이트 case at York, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 two parties take ¡°extreme positions and don¡¯t yield¡±, because 바카라사이트re is a fear that an arbitrator will take 바카라사이트 middle position, said Professor Gomez.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com