CUPE, York University to resume talks today

Where do Canada's post-secondary dollars go?

York University and its teaching assistants will be back at the bargaining table on Friday, four days after TAs walked off the job.

CUPE Local 3903 — which represents 3,700 teaching assistants and other non-tenured academic staff at York — tells CBC News they will sit down with university officials and a conciliator today.

CUPE 3903 members have been on strike since Tuesday, just a few days after Local 3902, which represents teaching assistants at the University of Toronto, walked off the job.

Classes have continued at U of T during the strike, but were cancelled at York.

CUPE 3903 met with a provincially appointed mediator all day Thursday, two days after the mediator met with York officials.

The union says the main issues in the disputes include wages, benefits and hiring practices.

Ontario’s labour minister, Kevin Flynn, on Wednesday urged both sides in the York strike to get back to the bargaining table to prevent a lengthy shutdown.