Five months after a strike cancelled classes at York University, negotiations between the administration and the union have come to an end.

Members of CUPE 3903 have ratified three-year collective agreements that include wage increases of three per cent per year over three years, plus other benefits.

The job action began on November 6, 2008 and ended on January 29 when the province enacted back-to-work legislation. Nearly 50,000 were kept out of the classroom for those 12 weeks and the school was left with what Premier Dalton McGuinty called "a black eye."

Contract workers, graduate assistants and teaching assistants had been working without a contract since August 31, 2008. There were reports that the administration was unwilling to negotiate and after two months of stalled talks, the union had had enough.

During mandated discussions, a provincial mediator admitted the two sides would never come together. Because of the Liberal bill, the contract dispute was settled by binding arbitration.

However, the two sides were able to come to an agreement without an arbitrator earlier in April.

Student organizations have demanded a 12 per cent tuition rebate from the university, money back the school has roundly refused to give.

For students, fall exams will end March 3, the winter term will begin March 4, and classes will end June 2.

Classes would normally end at the beginning of May.

Summary of Ratified Settlement

Term of New Collective Agreements

• 3 years, concluding August 31, 2011

Wage Increases

• 3 per cent in each of years 1, 2 and  3

Tuition Protection 

• Agreement with CUPE 3903 on continuation of tuition protection for the term of new Collective Agreements

Enhanced Job Security for Unit 2 Contract Faculty
Part One: Long-Service Teaching Appointments (LSTAs) inside the CUPE Local 3903 Unit 2 Collective Agreement

• 7 LSTAs in each year of the collective agreement
• LSTAs are comprised of 3 full-course equivalents per year inside CUPE 3903 collective agreement 
• Appointments are based on hiring unit teaching needs, quality of applicant's teaching file; and seniority
• Rate is the prevailing course directorship (CD) or CD-equivalent rate plus $1500 per CD or CD-equivalent
• 3 year term  - non-renewable

Part Two: Two (2) tenure stream "conversion appointments" in each year of the collective agreement

Fund Improvements

• Increases in 9 funds in year 1 to at least their highest per member amount since 2003-04 (i.e., fund catch up)
• Significant further increases to 5 funds, including Professional Development Fund, Graduate Bursary and Research Costs Funds (Unit 1), Conference Travel and Research Grants Funds (Unit 2) and GA Bursary Fund (Unit 3)
• Agreement with CUPE 3903 on indexation of the above-noted 9 funds for future growth in bargaining unit membership

Benefit Improvements

• New extended health care benefits plan for paramedical services fully indexed for future bargaining unit membership growth (replacing and improving benefit coverage protection for members as compared to the current capped Benefits Fund of $175,000)
• New extended health care supplemental benefits fund of $55,000 in year 1 and $100,000 in year 2 and thereafter to assist in the cost of services not provided under new extended health care benefits plan
• Improvements in dental care benefit, including an increase in the annual maximum from $2000 to $3000 
• Improvements in Vision Care, including an increase from a maximum of $300 every two years to a maximum of $400 every two years. 
• New post-retirement benefits plan providing annual health care spending accounts of $1500 per member (i.e., the same level provided for CUPE 1356 and IUOE)

Improvements to Paid Leaves

• Increases in length of paid Parental Leave, Adoption Leave and Compassionate Leave

Increase in Minimum Guarantee (Unit 1)

• Increase in additional funding for Priority Pool Members from $4764 to $5000 starting in year 1 of the new Collective Agreement

Parity between Unit 1 and Unit 3

• Addition of Unit 1 paid leave provisions to Unit 3, including paid Sick Leave, Conference Leave and Emergency Leave
• Unit 3 Graduate Financial Assistance for Visa students increased from $590 to $715 for Fall & Winter term effective September 1, 2009

Employment Equity

• Agreement with CUPE 3903 with new employment equity language, including language relating to the development of an employment equity plan, surveys and a new self identification provision for Unit 2