Peel police are reporting major traffic delays near the University of Toronto Mississauga today as striking teaching assistants, graduate assistants and research assistants hit the picket lines.
About 6,000 University of Toronto teaching assistants have been on strike since Feb. 27 but Peel police tell CP24 that a larger number of picketers are on hand at the University of Mississauga today than in the past.
The increased presence comes after the leadership of CUPE 3902 rejected the school's latest offer on Monday without sending it to its members for a vote.
Police are urging drivers to avoid Mississauga Road between Dundas Street and Burnhamthorpe Road.
"As of yesterday through the provincial mediator the university administration pushed back an offer that would have ended the strike for $600,000 over 3.8 years and they put back an offer that was worth $22,000 less than the one we rejected on Feb. 27. We have no choice right now but to escalate the pickets," PHD student Craig Smith told CP24 on Tuesday morning. "We tried to do things at the table – our bargaining team is still waiting for the university – but we don’t really understand why they (the university) are jeopardizing the undergrads years for $600,000.”
The picketers are expected to be blocking the three entrances to the school until late this afternoon, police say.
A large contingent of police are on hand to direct traffic, however delays of up to 90 minutes to drive onto the campus have been reported.
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