On the same day York University resumed many of its classes despite an ongoing strike, violence erupted on one of the picket lines between students and some striking teaching assistants.
Tuesday's heated confrontation was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube. According to the video's description, it took place at the campus' Sentinel Road entrance.
In the three-minute long video, a group of picketers is seen standing on the road in front of several stopped vehicles. The drivers attempting to exit the school's grounds are seen shouting at the picketers to "get the f**k out of here."
At one point, the driver of a blue car dismantles a barrier. Another video of the same confrontation shot from a different angle shows the man throwing the blockade off the road.
The heated clash comes one day after CUPE Local 3903 chair Faiz Ahmed warned in a statement that opening classes before a settlement is reached will "create chaos and confusion among students." He adds that resuming classes may run "the risk of prolonging the strike unnecessarily by taking a business-as-usual approach."
York's teaching assistants and graduate assistants have been off the job since March 3. The school temporarily suspended classes following the job action, but many have since been resumed following a decision by York's executive senate Monday night.
Some TAs say they are disappointed with the school's decision. "They say they really value their TAs and their GAs, but (at the same time they are) trying to prove the university can operate without them," one picketer said.
At issue for the striking workers are wages. CUPE Local 3903 says approximately two-thirds of undergraduate courses at the university are taught by non-tenured staff who are compensated approximately $15,000 a year.
Some students who returned to class on Tuesday said while they understand why their TAs are on strike, they are relieved to be back in the classroom.
"I kind of feel it for them because I know they are my TAs and I support them, but I need to go back to class," one student told CTV Toronto on Tuesday.
"They have a right to strike," said another. "But as a student, it's a little frustrating."
Meanwhile, the University of Toronto's TAs also remain on strike. They held a rally at the school's Mississauga campus on Tuesday, forcing many motorists to wait approximately an hour to enter the school grounds.
CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness reports that undergraduate U of T students are planning a mass walkout on Wednesday. They will demand a tuition refund and an end to the strike.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness
