As the labour strike between CUPE 3903 representing York’s teaching and graduate assistants and the universities administration has reached week eight of negotiations most classes have been suspended.
With no end in site those hoping to graduate in June have been adversely affected. The on going suspension of classes has interfered with senior students’ abilities to earn essential credits. Meaning some will be required attend summer school and postpone their plans to attend commencement.
In response, York’s administration has greenlit the use of assessed grades for certain courses. In a statement posted on the university website assessed grades were defined as: “a final grade based on coursework completed that comprises a defined proportion of the assignments in a course syllabus.” Eligibility for accessed grades will be determined on a case by case basis by members of faculty.
Cj Mezin a student hoping to graduate is one of the lucky ones he will be eligible to apply for assessed grades. Still, CJ expressed his frustration with the lack of organization from the universities administration through the weeks leading up to the announcement.
“There has been a bit of a backlog in trying to get guidance” Mezin states. “and they can be a bit vague with the instructions.”
Despite the stress its caused him CJ is in support of the strike. “I feel like it was the right thing to do for my professors to suspend in-person classes, to show their solidarity with TAs,”
CUPE 3903 are hoping the strike will lead to an increase in wages that ensure fair compensation and accurately reflect inflation. Strike organizer and Unit one teaching assistant Braedon Balko feels he and his peers are struggling with the growing costs of living, with many educational workers unable to afford basic needs such as housing, food and water.
“There’s estimates that up to 70% of us in terms of unit 1 grad students are regularly using food banks, our demands aren’t very high,” Balko remarked.
Approximately 3,000 TA’s are taking part in the strike, with many watching closely as the next round on negotiations is set to take place later this week.
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