Saner minds did not prevail at York University and the ridiculous strike continues. Media coverage of the universities press convergence to respond to the negative vote confirmed my theory that the leaders are overwhelmingly young graduate students. The activists appeared to be exclusively male, which is interesting. They showed all the intellectual and social maturity of pubescent grade-schoolers. And, yes, it seems this is all just a game for them.
It was reassuring to hear President Shoukri confirm the university’s last offer is just that. CUPE, to date, had failed to put a comprehensive proposal on the bargaining table. The onus in on CUPE to respond or to take responsibility for a lost term. Maybe if parents started suing CUPE for the consequences of its action, we would see a change in behaviour. Meanwhile, it is looking more and more as if the summer term at York will be cancelled as, even if classes resume very soon, it will take at least until late May for students and professors to catch-up.
Contrary to what my friend (and Mx-Master engineering grad) David thinks, I don’t believe there was any plot to plant an engineer from Hamilton at York. It’s more likely that after 50 years of social-scientists running York, the board of governors determined it was time for a new approach. For the money I send York each year in support of undergraduate student aid, i will back Shoukri any day.
The government of Ontario announced another attempt at mediation rather than back-to-work legislation. News to me is a recent Supreme Court decision which could open the way for CUPE to challenge such legislation as unconstitutional. I really need to find out what that is about and what would have to be done to remove the possibility of such a challenge.
UPDATE:
"The imposition of compulsory arbitration in cases where the parties do not reach agreement is generally contrary to the principle of voluntary collective bargaining and is only admissible (in) cases of essential services, administration of the State, clear deadlock, and national crisis," The Supreme Court ruled in a 2007 case involving BC health workers, according to The Toronto Star. Since a university is unlikely to be deemed an essential service and this is not a national crisis, the province would have to be able to show a clear deadlock exists. Hence one more round of mediation.
Meanwhile, The Star still persists in describing the university’s offer as 9.25% , based on adding the salary increases in each to 3 years. Apparently the geniuses at The Star, well versed in labour law, are unaware of the principle of compounding increases.
