Open Letter: Reclaim York for Students and Workers

Concerned about admin-led restructuring at York? Sign this open letter and attend the Reclaiming York for Students and Workers rally on September 25th!

Pervasive admin-led restructuring at York University has been severely detrimental to both students and workers. The austerity measures that have been implemented are wide-ranging and have demonstrably worsened educational quality, working conditions, and the overall experience of being a member of the York University community.

Most recently, in bargaining with the York University Staff Association, the Employer has proposed numerous concessionary demands including capping sick day accruals, allowing unlimited numbers of interns to perform bargaining unit work, and allowing managers to book YUSA members off on vacation without their consent. While the number of managers has ballooned by over 40% at the university during the past 8 years, unionized support staff levels are being slashed through employee exit programs. York administration cannot claim to be “committed to the public good” and “promise excellence in research and teaching” while also axing funding to the foundations of the institution.

These cost-cutting measures are harming the quality of York as an educational institution and undermining safe working conditions. They are also fundamentally unnecessary. It is shameful that this administration has moved to funnel money into private security, expensive union busting law firms, opening additional campuses, and expanding administrative bloat rather than supporting its students and workers. It is indefensible to blame financial issues on the York community itself rather than, for example, the fact that for over 200 million dollars worth of major capital projects, “no financial analysis or evaluation was undertaken” to ensure this spending was viable.

York University has systematically deprioritized pedagogy and hired expensive consultants to implement austerity. The University’s own published data indicates a ratio of more than one manager for every two full time faculty members. Increasingly, the administration seems to be treating York University like a revenue-generating opportunity rather than a site for knowledge and learning. An educational institution cannot and should not be defined by its profitability. Putting profits over people undercuts academic quality but also stifles any free speech on campus that is deemed unfriendly to corporate interests. This has manifested in increased over-policing and suppression of both students’ and workers’ resistance.

In reclaiming York University for students and workers, we call for those in charge to re-center the community members that give this space genuine meaning and value. We call on the administration of York University to prioritize students and workers over capital gains.

Sign your name now!