The union for striking teaching assistants and other education workers at the University of Toronto has called an “emergency meeting” for Thursday to vote on whether to accept binding arbitration.
University president Meric Gertler said Wednesday he has proposed binding arbitration through a provincial mediator because the school is at an “impasse” with the union, CUPE 3092.
“Under this process, an independent, neutral third party, appointed by the provincial mediator, would arbitrate all matters that remain in dispute and determine a final resolution that both parties would have to accept,” Gertler explained in a statement.
Union members walked off the job on Feb. 27, seeking more compensation for the work they do while studying. The strike has caused some labs and tutorials to be cancelled and uncertainty for students around marks as papers pile up at the end of the semester.
Gertler said the process is needed to “preserve the academic year for all of our students.”
He later said at a news conference that agreeing to binding arbitration would end the strike immediately.
Gertler also pointed out union members have twice failed to ratify tentative agreements reached with the union, including one voted on last Friday that would have raised graduate students annual funding package to $17,500, up from $15,000. Union members voted 1,101 to 992 against that deal.
After Gertler’s news conference Wednesday, CUPE 3902 spokesperson Craig Smith told reporters the union had already rejected binding arbitration.
“(With binding arbitration) our membership would have no say in what occurs,” he said. “Our membership would go back to work and there would be no guarantees about what would happen.”
However, a notice was posted to CUPE’s website hours later, announcing Thursday’s emergency vote on whether to accept binding arbitration.
The meeting will happen at 2 p.m. at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 100 Front Street West, and members are asked to sign in starting at 1 p.m.
