Bargaining Survey Glossary

Continuing Sessional Standing Program (CSSP)

The CSSP was negotiated in the 2014-15 bargaining round. It provides first access to job appointments for members who have taught at least an average of two full courses over the past five years. For those who have maintained this average over the past five years, it also guarantees some compensation if your teaching load drops below 2/3 of your average. For members in the CSSP pool, blanket applications are due on November 1st of each year, and CSSP courses are assigned by the end of January. Members thus know well in advance what work they will have in the following summer and fall/winter terms.

Conversions

Conversions enable members in the Affirmative Action (Conversion) Pool to move from being contract faculty to being a full-time tenure-stream faculty member in the York University Faculty Association (YUFA). There are a limited number of conversions allowed per year, but we continue to fight for an increase in conversions, allowing people to make an important move into a much more secure job. In 2015, we won the addition of a new type of full-time conversion position focused on teaching (“alternate teaching stream”) alongside professorial stream conversion positions.

Long Service Teaching Appointments (LSTAs)

In the 2008-2009 bargaining round, the union negotiated a new job security program for long service Unit 2 members. Members who are awarded one of these positions are automatically appointed to three full course equivalents in each of three to five years. In addition, the member receives approximately $2,000 per full course equivalent. To be eligible to apply for an LSTA you must have been in the Unit 2 Affirmative Action (Conversion) Pool for at least five years, and have taught an average of 2.5 full course equivalents over the last three years (including approved leaves).

Special Renewable Contracts (SRCs)

In the 2018 bargaining round, we won the reinstatement of the SRC program, which previously ran from 1999 to 2005, but was not subsequently renewed. Members who are in the Affirmative Action (conversion) Pool, have a minimum of 15 years of service in Unit 2, and who have taught at an average intensity of 2.5 courses per year over the past 5 years, are eligible to apply. Members who receive an SRC become members of the York University Faculty Association (YUFA), and will have secure employment for up to 13 years.

Tuition Indexation

Tuition indexation is how we talk about our guaranteed rate of tuition at York University. It means that if tuition is raised, funding is raised in an equal amount. This provision was won by our union in collective bargaining, defended during the 78-Day strike in 2000-
2001, and improved in the 2011-2012 round of bargaining. In 2015, we went on strike to protect this language after the employer raised tuition by 50% for international students. We fought for this language for 11 months in 2015-16, through a mix of political and
legal strategies, and we won! Consequently, international graduate students who are members of CUPE 3903 received between $6709 and $7533 (depending on degree type) every year to offset their tuition.