The re-vote for the Unit 2 ratification vote took place on Thursday, June 14 and Friday, June 15. Members of Unit 2 (contract faculty) have ratified the employer’s Memorandum of Settlement and will return to work on Monday. Unit 1 (Teaching Assistants) and Unit 3 (Graduate Assistants) remain on strike. Unit 2 members who experience problems with their return to work should get in touch with their Chief Steward, Mike Palamarek (cupe3903chiefstewardunit2@gmail.com).

Unit 2 Ratification Vote Results

YES: 239 votes
NO: 122 votes
Total Votes Cast: 361 votes

Next Steps Regarding the Irregularities in the Initial Vote

The Executive Committee is pleased that this re-vote took place without incident and that members of Unit 2 — of all opinions — were able to have their voices heard without any doubts regarding the legitimacy of the count.

In order to ensure that irregularities on this scale are never allowed to occur again, the Executive Committee is contracting an outside investigator to ascertain what took place and make recommendations going forward. We will have more information about this process in the near future once the investigator is selected and criteria are set out.

Accessibility and Human Rights Complaints

The timing of the original vote and the re-vote presented significant accessibility problems because of the short notice of each of the votes. The re-vote also conflicted with Eid-ul-Fitr, therefore limiting participation on religious grounds. CUPE 3903 fully acknowledges that these circumstances rendered these votes inaccessible. Several attempts were made, by both the Executive Committee and the President of CUPE Ontario, Fred Hahn, to ask the employer to extend the deadline in order to provide reasonable religious accommodations.

The employer’s refusal to do so is shameful and in complete contradiction with York University’s stated values. As such, we are seeking further legal advice, and also encourage members who were prevented from casting their votes due to a lack of accommodations on grounds protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code to get in touch our Chairperson, Devin Lefebvre (cupe3903chairperson@gmail.com). The local can provide financial and other support if a complaint is filed.