York University's executive senate has approved the resumption of more classes that have been suspended due to an ongoing strike by the school's teaching assistants.
The senate says the following faculties will resume classes on Tuesday:
- School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design
- Faculty of Education
- Glendon
- Faculty of Health (classes that haven't already resumed)
- Faculty of Science
Classes in the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies that haven’t already resumed classes will recommence on March 23.
Monday's decision comes after the senate approved earlier this month the resumption of 333 courses on March 11, and those in the juris doctor program offered by Osgoode Hall Law School that restarted on Monday.
Unit 2 of CUPE Local 3903, representing contract faculty, agreed to a new three-year labour deal last week, allowing for the resumption of those classes.
Meanwhile, CUPLE Local 3903's bargaining units 1 and 3 – which represent the school's teaching assistants and graduate assistants – have been on strike since March 3. The school temporarily suspended classes following the job action.
At issue for the striking workers are wages. CUPE says approximately two-thirds of undergraduate courses at the university are taught by non-tenured staff who are compensated approximately $15,000 a year.
In a statement on Monday, the school says the decision to resume more classes "in no way diminishes the imperative of resolving the labour disruption as soon as possible."
According to York, the provincially-appointed mediator hasn't asked for negotiations to resume.
In addition to approving the resumption of more classes, the senate also agreed on Monday to push the start date of the exam period one week later than originally planned for most courses.
