Striking contract course instructors, teaching assistants and continuing education instructors at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, members of Unit 4 of Local 3902 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE 3902-4) have reached a tentative agreement with their employer.
“We’re very pleased to inform St. Mike’s students and the broader University of Toronto community that we have successfully negotiated a first collective agreement that is fair to our members, fair to St. Mike’s and strengthens quality post-secondary education,” said Tadhg Morris, a member of Unit 4’s bargaining team and a Celtic Studies instructor at St. Mike’s.
Details of the agreement are not being released until Unit 4 members have had a chance to review it today. A ratification vote will follow soon after.
“The bargaining team was creative and we were able to break the impasse and achieve a fair settlement, without any intervention from the province,” said Abe Nasirzadeh, Chair of CUPE 3902.
“I think we’ve demonstrated—not just to St. Mike’s and the University of Toronto, but also to the provincial government and others who are trying to interfere with free collective bargaining—that the system works. More to the point, the system works best when employers and employees sit down and negotiate agreements free of interference and the threat of legislation,” he added.
For more information, please contact:
Abe Nasirzadeh, CUPE 3902 Chair, 647-236-3902
Kevin Wilson, CUPE Communications, 416-821-6641