CANADIAN LABOUR:

CUPE 3903 RALLY FOR STRIKE AT YORK UNIVERSITY:

Yesterday hundreds of people rallied outside the Ontario offices in charge of universities in support of strikers at that institution. Here's the story from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

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Hundreds rally in support of CUPE 3903 strike at York:

December 5, 2008

Hundreds of members of CUPE 3903 and their supporters rallied outside the offices of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in support of the month-old strike at York University and against precarious work in the post-secondary sector.

“This strike will not end until we get job security,” said Lykke de la Cour, who works as contract faculty at York. She described the constant uncertainty of academic workers who must re-apply for their jobs every term.

Precarious work is not just an issue at York, said Deena Ladd of the Toronto Workers Action Centre.

“We have a labour market where over 37% of workers are in precarious jobs,” she said. “Your struggle is our struggle.”

“We’re not just talking about job security,” said CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan. “We’re talking about dignity and respect for workers, about equity in the workplace.”

Arthur Hilliker, president of the York University Faculty Association, said his association continues to support measures to facilitate the movement of contract faculty into YUFA positions. He said the association has told the university that they are willing to go to the table for trilateral negotiations on that issue.

Meanwhile, the CUPE 3903 bargaining team continues its efforts to bring the university administration back to the bargaining table.