University of Toronto president Meric Gertler calls on the union representing teaching assistants to agree to binding arbitration.Fernando Morales/The Globe and Mail
The University of Toronto is calling on the union representing 6,000 TAs at the University of Toronto to agree to binding arbitration and immediately end a strike that is in its fourth week.
"We feel now is the time to let the arbitrator decide what is the appropriate pathway ahead," said Meric Gertler, the university's president.
The proposal comes on the same day that CUPE 3902, the union representing the striking workers, sent another offer to the administration. At issue throughout the dispute has been the funding package that graduate students receive, and which is made up of tuition fees, grants and salaries from teaching.
The university has repeatedly stated that it will not negotiate the terms of that package through the collective agreement.
The proposal for arbitration was submitted to the provincial mediator before the administration received the union's latest offer. Nothing in that offer changed its mind.
"We took a look and concluded we are indeed at an impasse," Dr. Gertler said.
Ryan Culpepper, vice-chair of CUPE 3902's striking units, said the union's bargaining committee will talk about the proposal. Reza Moridi, minister of training, colleges and universities said the government hopes all sides "can put the needs of Ontario students first.
"We encourage fair agreements that are consistent with our fiscal plan," he said in a statement, adding that it is the responsibility of the employers and the unions to resolve their differences.
While classes have continued at U of T throughout the labour dispute, undergraduate students now face many changes to their courses, including the possibility of receiving a grade of pass or fail, rather than a mark. Courses taught by PhD students could be cancelled, students have said.
The last deal agreed to between the university and the bargaining committee was turned down early Monday morning by a margin of 109 votes from the approximately 2,000 students who voted. It was the second deal that was recommended by the bargaining committee and rejected by the membership, although the recommendation was not unanimous.
Part of that agreement would have seen the university make available a bursary fund that would increase graduate student funding to approximately $17,500 a student. The union had argued that the amount was not guaranteed or included in the agreement, and could decline if the number of graduate students increased.
"If you want to top us to $17,500, then say it's $17,500," Mr. Culpepper said.
The walkout is the first labour disruption at U of T since 2000, and only the fourth from TAs since they formed a union in the 1970s.
Teaching assistants continued to picket at York University Wednesday, even as almost all classes have resumed this week. CUPE 3903 and the administration are exchanging proposals through a provincial mediator.