All three units of CUPE 3903 on strike, representing Teaching Assistants (Unit 1), Contract Faculty (Unit 2), and Graduate Assistants (Unit 3) have rejected the employer’s offer by large margins.

Voting in the forced ratification vote opened on Friday April 6 at 9 am and closed on Monday April 9 at 10 am. Turnout was excellent across all units: 75% for Unit 1, 69% for Unit 2, 68% for Unit 3. Some ballots are still in dispute, so the numbers may change slightly.

Here are the preliminary results:

Unit 1: 86% NO

YES: 210 votes
NO: 1279 votes
13 ballots in dispute
Total: 1502 votes cast

Unit 2: 86% NO

YES:108 votes
NO: 653 votes
11 ballots in dispute
Total: 772 votes cast

Unit 3: 98% NO

YES: 1 vote
NO: 43 votes
2 ballots in dispute
Total: 46 votes cast

These results send a clear message: Teaching Assistants, Contract Faculty, and Graduate Assistants at York University will not accept the same concessionary deal that they had rejected on March 2. The employer has wasted not only weeks of our time, but also — and most importantly – weeks of students’ semester in order to avoid bargaining. A deal must be reached at the bargaining table, not in the media or by underhanded tactics such as waiting five weeks for a forced vote in the hopes that the cold and loss of a paycheque weakens our resolve.

Our bargaining team remains ready and willing to bargain. We await York’s response.

Find out more about the forced ratification vote here.