By Petre Marin
LINCHPIN

CUPE 3903 members at York University have been on strike since November 6, 2008. The 3,400 contract faculty, teaching assistants and graduate assistants decided to bear the bitter cold and head for the picket lines following management’s refusal to consider their demands. Much is at stake in this strike, for CUPE 3903 members and beyond.

The workers’ demands include wage increases of 11% over two years to keep up with the rise in the cost of living in one of Canada’s most expensive cities. They are also demanding increased funding to benefits to reflect a 28% growth in membership. Another important demand is job security for contract faculty whose contracts typically last only one semester. These workers are required to re-apply for their job over and over every few months even as many of them have been teaching for years, sometimes decades.