Educators at Canada’s largest universities strike for job security, better wages
Classes cancelled for students at York University and University of Toronto as labour bargains continue.
Contract faculty and teaching assistants at Canada’s largest universities are on strike, demanding wage increases and better job security. The teachers from the University of Toronto and York University have turned to the picket line to bring attention to the structural issues many are raising in the Canadian higher education system.
Strikers and supporters point to the lack of long-term contracts and stagnant wages for contract faculty and teaching assistants at Canada’s schools. A site set up by University of Toronto strikers, for example, says the educators who do 60 per cent of the teaching receive only 3.5 per cent of the school’s budget.
Strikers and advocates shared their support using #YorkUStrike and #UofTStrike, which have received nearly 7,000 and 1,200 uses respectively.