Negotiators for CUPE 3261 reached a tentative agreement this past Friday morning with the University of Toronto. The tentative agreements cover all full-time, part-time and casual employees.
“Early this morning, our bargaining committee reached a tentative agreement with U of T. We appreciate the hard work and many long hours that they put into making this happen,” said Allan James, President of CUPE 3261.
“When this process began many months ago, our members gave us a clear mandate to negotiate improvements that put the goals of “Fight for $15 and Fairness” at the forefront. I am confident that, when members see the agreements, they will understand that we have done our very best to respect their mandate,” he added.
The “Fight for $15 and Fairness” is a campaign supported by community, labour, student and faith groups across Ontario, calling for sweeping reforms to employment and labour laws. Central to the campaign is the demand for a $15 hourly minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age, student status, job or area of work. Earlier this year, a “Fight for $15 and Fairness” chapter was established at U of T.
Full details of the agreement will be released following ratification votes, which will take place next week at U of T’s Scarborough, St. George and Mississauga Campuses, and conclude Thursday, September 21.
The tentative agreements cover approximately 1,200 full-time, part-time and casual custodial, maintenance, food service, parking and security employees represented by CUPE 3261.