U of T campus organizations in solidarity with CUPE 3902

We, the undersigned members of the University of Toronto Employees’ Associations and Unions (UTEAU) coalition, which collectively represents over 100,000 students, staff, faculty, librarians, and workers across University of Toronto, are united in expressing our support for CUPE 3902 in their ongoing fight for fair pay, stronger job security, increases to benefits and protections, and respect for all members of Units 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7, who are currently in bargaining. The University of Toronto cannot function without the services provided by contract workers. But these workers, like so many others across the city and province, are increasingly precarious, overworked, undervalued, and struggling to survive

The working conditions for 3902 members are the university’s learning and research conditions. The university must adequately support their commitment to high-quality education by meeting its workers’ reasonable and necessary calls for respect, job security, and equity for all CUPE members at the University. 

For years, U of T has tried to create divisions between workers by separating bargaining units and our coworkers into different Locals, Units, and Associations! This is why contract academic workers are standing united in their demands for equity, respect, a living wage, and better working conditions.

Workers in Units 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are Graduate Assistants, Writing Instructors, Sessional Lecturers, Sessional Instructional Assistants, Undergraduate Tutors, Music Professionals, and more at the University of Toronto, St. Michael’s College, and Victoria College. Their labour is a significant part of the reason that UofT is a prestigious and world-class institution. But, as we all know, prestige doesn’t pay the bills. 

The demands of Units 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7 are clear: improved wages that reflect the cost of living, better professional development opportunities, and benefits on par with those enjoyed by other workers at the university who do the same work. Their bargaining teams are fighting for a fair deal, but their power only comes from the continued unity and collective strength among the workers across those Units, across the University, and across the Province.

We therefore call upon the Administration to quit stalling, drop their proposed concessions (such as removing job protections for unfunded students or “Group B” workers at OISE), and come to the bargaining table in good faith. That is the only way to avoid a strike across five Units. Units 2, 3, and 7 have already set a strike deadline for April 1 (not a joke). There is still time to negotiate, but only if the Administration finally starts to take the process seriously. Assuming that Unit 3 members (or the members of any of our affiliated Locals or Associations) would accept an across-the-board pay increase of 1.5%, even with some one-time adjustments for long-term workers, is definitely not taking the process seriously.

In solidarity,

CUPE Local 1230
CUPE Local 3261
USW Local 1998 Executive Committee
UFCW Canada Local 102
University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union
Scarborough Campus Students’ Union
University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union
University of Toronto Faculty Association Executive Committee