Comments are now closed for this story

November 25, 2008 at 7:56:01 PM
sarah
its ridiciulous, that TA's and contract faculty are walking off the job because they feel that they are not getting adequate pay. LOOK AT THE ECONOMY! Why should they be getting raises when the rest of the economy is struggling. I would like to get paid more at my job, but I'm not walking out the door. They are affecting thousands of students and I believe it is unfair and selfish.

November 25, 2008 at 8:20:18 PM
Pretem
the union is just being greedy. all they care is money and nothing else. i also heard that York U TA are among the highest paid in Canada. stop being greedy and let the university teach the student. thats what universities are made for, to teach, not to pay high salaries to some greedy union. this stirke has changed my perspective towards the union in very negative way. i kinda hate the union and the TAs who are in stike.

November 25, 2008 at 8:27:06 PM
waheda
I agree with sara. The only people losing are students like myself working towards a better education to establish a decent lifestyle, but obviously thats not the case!

November 25, 2008 at 8:42:20 PM
Jenn
This is ridiculous. It's been almost 4 weeks. I just hope that we don't have to re-take any classes, because if we do, they better refund our tuition. Tuition fees are already high as it is.

November 25, 2008 at 9:03:47 PM
Jason
It took three weeks for cupe to ammend their demands to a more realistic framework. This should make people question whether the employer was right all along, thus the strike would of been avoided if they prsented a realistic framework three weeks ago. Cupe even said it themselves, that they have to reprioritize their demands, well a little late,its three weeks later... at the expense of us undergrads, thanks a lot

November 25, 2008 at 9:10:53 PM
Pablo C.
This is absoluelte crap. Now the union decides to change their demands? The first week off as xfun but now a month in this sucks cuz now it's cutting into my time off. Whry did the cupe not decide to cave earlier? Greedy people.

November 25, 2008 at 10:04:39 PM
Shawn
The union is being greedy - with the state of the current econmomic sitution the University should not give in to thier demands.
Its unfortunate that the students end up paying the price for this strike.

November 26, 2008 at 11:04:04 PM
Kris
The union claims its fighting for a better quality of education. What kind of quality education forces students to stay home and lose their money? $6000 to stay home and teach myself. I wish I had never decided to go to York.

November 26, 2008 at 11:04:10 PM
Tiger
Is it true? TAs generally get paid a HUGE $63.00 per hour? And they (TAs) will get paid any missed hours during the strike one back to work? I do know one thing, they are not allowed to be stopping us on public streets which they are. One striker even admitted that stopping us on the public road is illegal as we drove though the picket line!

November 26, 2008 at 11:08:09 PM
marco
Does cupe even know what they are fighting for... they strike for three weeks with one set framework, and now change it in order to start negotations. Stick with one thing or the other.. you went on strike for three weeks with one set of demands, stick it out then...makes me wonder if cupe was really wanting the university to cave to their unrealistic demands. They saw that it wasnt going to happen so they now changed it. Why didnt they just ammend their demands before the strike, save the aggravation..of a strike. Pick your fight cupe... because I dont think your know what you are fighting for....

November 26, 2008 at 11:18:18 PM
Lou
It's not fair to all us students at York. We pay money and have life plans that now are ruined and have to be adjusted b/c of greedy cupe.They are making unrealistic demands and just want a 2yr contract so they can have a superstrike with most universities in 2010. U of T may go on strike in early december as well b/c of this! Things will be messed up if this happens.

November 26, 2008 at 11:20:07 PM
Jilvan
I am a concurrent education student at York and I SUPPORT the Union as do many other students. We should look at the bigger picture, if the York administration can afford to give themselves raises they should consider the 50% of the faculty members who are TA's and contract faculty. It's about equal pay for equal amount of work.

November 26, 2008 at 12:52:55 AM
George
I've actually been through the first strike and now I'm going through the second one as a continue education student. Shame on the administration and shame on the union. Both are equally at fault for letting this happen, while students are the once that suffering. I believe that all students that are able to transfer to other schools, should now... As a sign of protest to York U.

November 26, 2008 at 1:00:16 AM
David, Scarborough, ON.
I see on CP24 News that the local CUPE wants students to pressure York U to give into the union's demands.

How dumb does the union think the students are, as the increased wages will ultimately be borne by increased fees for courses to be paid by..... Students. Why would the students want to support something that's going to cost them more eventually.

We'd all like a pay raise but it isn't going to happen in the current economy so deal with it.
One of the strikers was saying the increase would mean they wouldn't have to work at other jobs, well what about the rest of us who do the same.

November 26, 2008 at 9:33:56 AM
Linda, Aurora ON
What the broader public needs to know is that the real issue in this strike is CUPE's demand for a 2 year contract (instead of 3 year)that would put York PT and contract faculty into another potential strike position in 2010 along with, a lot of other Ontario CUPE university unions.

This is not about York. It's about the larger CUPE agenda to align as many CUPE university contracts to end at the same time. It's no secret that they want to bargain with the province not the employers and it won't be just the 50,000 students at York that would be caught in the middle of the dispute, but many more across the province.

Sadly, if the 2 year contract is still part of CUPE's demands when they meet with the University this Thursday, I feel this will not be over any time soon. For the students' sake I hope I'm wrong.

November 26, 2008 at 10:08:50 AM
Erin
I just want to be back in class! I am a mature student who left my job to go to York, and I am getting really upset. Students paying for an education should never have to deal with such things. It is a mockery of our higher education system.
GET ME BACK IN THE CLASSROOM!

November 26, 2008 at 10:24:14 AM
Solidrock
Universities are filthy rich...FILTHY RICH...sure they can raise tutions year after year...but when their own want better pay so they don't have to work 2 or 3 jobs to support themselves...they say nu-uh.

You think York is about education....its about MONEY...taking lots of you hard earned money...plunging you into many thousands of dollars of debt...i'd say your better off at a library or at home getting a true education...

November 26, 2008 at 10:57:41 AM
Kumar
I aint neva goin to university.

November 26, 2008 at 11:23:09 AM
Susan
I agree with Sarah, Pretem...
Every time I pass York-U, and see what they are doing for these days, it makes me sick. Please stop it and go back to work. I am one of York-U's parent

November 26, 2008 at 12:36:33 PM
Dad
Four weeks to meet. I guess they have the students best interest at heart. What a bunch of monkeys.

November 26, 2008 at 1:09:38 PM
Justin G
Just a bunch of greedy money grabbers. Why not negotiate and continue doing your job?

I hope the students show the TA's the same disrespect they received when classes eventually start backup.

November 26, 2008 at 1:38:13 PM
Sam
There is no reason for York to resolve this before the new year...

The first two weeks of the strike were "freebies": the missed time could be made up without any change to the calender.

Weeks 3 and 4 (where we are now) can be made up by canceling reading week and running classes one week into the spring exam schedule.

After week 4, in early Dec., we will be into the fall exam period, which doesn't have to be made up, as there are no classes.

So, York will leave the picketers out on the line until Jan 2009.

November 26, 2008 at 2:24:57 PM
?? WHAT ??
This is very sad. I don't attend the school myself, but this is just sad. What have the students done to deserve this strike?

I understand the union is there to protect the workers' rights, but this is just simply stupid. This is not the first time the union is showing how they like to show their 'power'.

I just simply don't get it.

November 26, 2008 at 2:36:02 PM
Ilya
I drove by York recently and saw that their outside bathrooms were pushed over! I applaud whoever did that! I hope they are realizing the kind of frustration they are putting 50,000 students through. Many of us are in similar positions where we need to graduate already and are fed up with this sort of nonsense.

Also, how are they legally allowed to block cars coming into the school. Some students are trying to study and stay up to date with their classes, other people just need to get to work.

If your not happy with your job (which has been already shown that its one of the best positions in the field in Canada), then stand outside if you feel that will help you , but stop blocking people who actually care about their jobs and studies.

November 26, 2008 at 3:28:02 PM
Dave
Sue is right, even if the strike ends tommorow, classes will only resume for a week and then pick up after the holidays. The university has nothing to loose.

Rest assured though...students will be back in class by Jan 5/09 one way or another...that is all I can say.

November 26, 2008 at 5:08:23 PM
First Year Student
Jan 5? That's still a long time. I'm sorry but students didn't pay thousands go get months off school. We went to learn.

York's TA's are getting paid more than any other university? GROW UP AND SUCK IT UP! Be happy you're even getting paid the amount you are. Stop damaging our education.