The Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada – Ontario (UKPC/FCYA – ON) stand in solidarity with the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 (CUPE 3903) who are currently on strike to demand improved working conditions, quality of education and equity at York University. CUPE 3903, representing contract faculty, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, along with part-time librarians and archivists at York University, is a union that currently perform 60% of teaching duties at York. We recognize that the working conditions of teaching assistants, seasonal, and part-time instructors of York University reflect the learning conditions and quality of education of students. Therefore, as progressive Filipino Canadian youth and students, we are with you in this fight against privatization and commercialization of education.
Since October 16th, CUPE 3903 has been bargaining to improve working conditions for its members at York University. Although contract faculty members do similar tasks as full-time tenured professors, they do not reap the same employment benefits. Contract faculty have little to no job security and are often hired last minute without adequate time to prepare for classes. Moreover, in 2016, York University cut over 800 graduate jobs and retrenched health benefits and funding for a wide range of services such as childcare, sexual assault survivor support, trans support, and more. Threats of financial hardships as a result of these changes will affect around 70% of graduate students. With such a large number of teaching assistants, contract instructors and graduate students actively taking part in the education of the students, such changes will result in an overall decrease in the quality of education. What’s more, York University has yet to effectively support the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, Indigenous people and other minority groups through its hiring practices and workplace services. As the strike enters its third week, the efforts of CUPE 3903 to negotiate are largely ignored by the University. Furthermore, York University continues to mislead the students into thinking that they are making an effort to resolve labour disputes despite the university’s lack of cooperation with the union.
Social cutbacks to education, inequitable hiring practices, and lack of job security amongst faculty are direct neoliberal attacks on youth and students. We, the members of FCYA/UKPC strongly condemn the university administrators’ failure to address the demands and needs of their workers. We denounce this attack by York University on its workers and on education by prioritizing profit over quality education. With our sister organizations SIKLAB-ON and the Philippine Women Centre of Ontario, we support CUPE in their fight for secured and meaningful employment. We are with them in this fight and will continue to expose and oppose this onslaught on public education and the furthering implementation of neoliberal policies that attack students, youth, and workers.
Stop the privatization of public education!
Expose and oppose the neoliberal project!
Make the Youth Count in Canada’s Future!