On May 25, 2018, CUPE 3903 filed a response to the employer’s Unfair Labour Practice (ULP). This ULP is not based in legal fact, but premised on the employer’s ongoing strategy that precludes bargaining, as outlined in the introduction to the response:

This application by the Employer is an attempt to use the Board’s processes to force a result that the Employer has been unable to obtain in bargaining. The Employer has refused and continues to refuse to meet the Union to bargain, despite considerable moderations in the Unions’ proposals. The Employer has continued to set preconditions on bargaining and, when met with Union resistance to those preconditions — which include agreement to interest arbitration as well as proof that the Union is willing to move, essentially, to the Employer’s position — the Employer has now turned to the Board rather than meet the Union to discuss and bargain the remaining outstanding issues.

For more information, here are the full documents of the response:

• Schedule A (Union response)
• Appendices

CONTENTS

Updates

(1) Picket Line Consolidation
(2) May 24 Communications with the Employer
(3) CUPE 3903 Hotline Hours

Meetings and Events

(4) Bargaining Team Meeting: May 28
(5) Joint BT-Exec Meeting: May 28
(6) Strike Committee Meetings: May 28 & 31
(7) Lassonde Townhall: May 30
(8) Strike General Membership Meeting: May 30

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On Thursday, May 24, the CUPE 3903 bargaining team exchanged emails with the employer discussing the employer’s offer to meet. The CUPE 3903 bargaining team agreed to meet in the presence of a mediator, sending the two following messages:

11:24 AM:

The Union is in receipt of correspondence from Simon Mortimer this morning.

The Union’s Bargaining Team would be interested and willing to meet with the Employer to discuss the remaining issues outstanding between the parties, with a view to negotiating a resolution of outstanding issues where possible, and with a view to having the remaining issues outstanding in all bargaining units dealt with through mediation and interest arbitration. We can advise you that the Bargaining Team has the flexibility and the mandate to pursue these issues with the Employer including an interest arbitration solution, in order to move forward.

6:13 PM:

The union’s negotiating team is eager to meet to have a frank and forthright discussion on unit 2 specific issues. We are available tomorrow beginning at noon. We accept your offer for a mediator and a separate caucus room to work from.

As of Friday May 25, the employer is now refusing to meet, claiming that the union has rejected their offer. The union’s position is that we were clear that we are willing to meet with the employer and have at no point in time rejected any offer to meet.

The bargaining team, in consultation with legal counsel, is working on a strategic response.

The employer’s lengthy letters can be found on their website.

CONTENTS

Updates

(1) “Respect and Compassion” Does Not Include Violence
(2) Delegates Needed for CUPE Ontatio Convention
(3) Missing Person: Zabia Afzal
(4) CUPE 3903 Hotline Hours

Meetings and Events

(5) Strike Committee Meetings: May 24

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CUPE Ontario’s yearly convention is taking place from May 30 to June 2 (with the University Workers’ Caucus on May 29) at the Toronto Sheraton. CUPE 3903 is looking for delegates to send to this important convention.

We can send a maximum of 10 delegates. Given the time constraints, delegates will be selected on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you would like to be a delegate, please email Dan at recsec.cupe3903@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Earlier today, at approximately 10 a.m., a sport-utility vehicle approached CUPE 3903 members engaged in lawful picketing at the Pond Road entrance to York University.

The driver of the SUV asked to be let in and was informed that the Pond Entrance was a ‘hard picket’ that day, with no vehicles being let in. Before picketers could advise the driver where to find the nearest available entry point, they attempted to rush the gates, pushing several picketers into the gates.

The SUV struck one picketer, who in an effort to prevent themselves from going under the wheels, suffered injuries to both hands caused by shattered glass, and was taken to hospital, where they were treated, placed briefly under observation and subsequently released.

The driver of the SUV fled the scene but has since been located by police. As they fled, they ignored security yelling at them to stop, and went through two other gates and a line of picketers.

CUPE 3903 wishes to state in the strongest possible terms that violence towards those engaged in lawful picketing activity is never acceptable. While we understand the frustration some members of the campus community feel, there is never a place in which it is okay to put peoples’ lives in danger.

York University needs to accept a share of the responsibility for today’s incident. The employer continues to send us letters imploring us to be respectful because they disapprove of political expression and action. It is imperative that they condemn attempted vehicular manslaughter with at least as much force.

CONTENTS

Updates

(1) Victoria Day Strike Duties
(2) GMM Election Results
(3) Statement from the Unit 3 Bargaining Team
(4) Missing Person: Zabia Afzal
(5) CUPE 3903 Hotline Hours

Meetings and Events

(6) Joint BT-Exec Meeting: May 22
(7) Strike Committee Meetings: May 22 & 24
(8) Difficult Conversations Workshop: May 23
(9) Executive Committee Meeting: May 23
(10) Strike General Membership Meeting: May 23

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Strike General Membership Meeting
Wednesday May 23, 2018
5pm-8pm (doors open @ 4:30)
30 Tangiers Road
UNIFOR Local 112

Agenda

1. Roll Call of Officers
2. Reading of the Equality Statement
3. Reading of the Mississauga Land Acknowledgement
4. Approval of Agenda
5. Approval of May 17, 2018 GMM Minutes
6. Report from Bargaining Team on the Status of Negotiations
7. Treasurer’s Report
8. Report by the Strike Committee and Subcommittees on the Conduct of the Strike
9. Report from Executive Committee on the Conduct of the Strike
10. Strategic Discussion + Motions from the Floor
11. Adjournment

Please contact Sheila Wilmot at cupe3903.equity.officer@gmail.com or at 416-736-5154 ext. 3 if you require any of the following: ASL interpretation, reimbursement for childcare/caregiver/attendant care, and/or transportation costs for members who are unable to secure Wheel-Trans, or other requests for accommodation.

Two elections took place at the May 17 General Membership Meeting: Unit 2 List Moderator, and Unit 1 Bargaining Team member.

Keith O’Regan was acclaimed as Unit 2 List Moderator.

Erin Grosjean was elected to the Unit 1 Bargaining Team.

On May 15, York University’s lawyer, Simon Mortimer, responded to CUPE 3903’s May 14 letter in which the union’s bargaining team outlined how the two parties are not, in fact, far apart.

In response, the employer’s stipulated that:

“there are substantive differences in our positions on key issues and, unfortunately, does not appear to map out a path to resolve what is clearly an impasse.”

Needless to say, the union, especially the Unit 3 members of the bargaining team, is extremely disappointed as we believe this statement is misleading. The two parties do indeed share the same values and principles, and we believe there is a real possibility of negotiating a settlement if the employer is willing to engage in a meaningful dialogue.

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