“The university only works because we do”—a familiar chant Carleton University students have become attuned to in the last three weeks as the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2424 strikers walk along their picket lines. However, this is not a chant that is just being heard in Ottawa. York University is also currently facing their own strike, with CUPE 3903.
While the circumstances are different, with CUPE 3903 being a union of contract staff and teaching assistants, Carleton could learn a thing or two.
York University has been on strike for four weeks now, making this their third strike and labour disruption in a decade. This time around, strikers are asking for three things: job security for contract faculty, stable and predictable funding for graduate students, and equity and accessibility in the workplace. Back at Carleton, strikers are fighting for the sole cause of pension security—an issue that seriously affects many of those on their administrative staff.
Students at both universities have suffered during the strikes. Between reduced services and the frustration of getting in and out of campus on time, the last couple of weeks have been tough. However, a key distinction between the two strikes is how undergraduate students are reacting, and this, in turn, could greatly affect how each strike plays out.
So far, students at York have been showing major support for the strikers. This ranges between a large social media influence as well as students physically joining in on the picket line. The support has been evident since day one. On March 23, a student group supporting the contract workers staged a sit-in at the school’s Senate chamber, which gained notable attention from the public.
Meanwhile at Carleton, the support has not been the same. While most students are aware the strike is happening, there has been little encouragement from their side. When asked about the strike, students generally feel uneducated about the subject or annoyed and angry with how the strike is disrupting their lives.
The disconnect could stem from the people involved. While the York strike involves TAs, professors and graduate students that have most likely had a one-on-one relationship with the students, Carleton’s administrative staff have not had the same experience. But, the services provided by administrative and support staff—such as filing housing applications, coordinating science labs, and providing technical support for journalism classes—are necessary to keep life at Carleton functioning efficiently.
The importance of having strong student support could greatly affect the duration and result of the strike. Take York’s 2014 strike for example, in which the strikers largely credited their success to the faculty and students who refused to cross the picket line and showed their support. It was the support from the undergraduate students that put pressure on the administration to meet their demands.
After all, it is student tuition and opinion that causes change on campus.
The same tactic is now being used by York, and is one that Carleton desperately needs to see. CUPE 2424 needs student support before any real change is met. That means if students aren’t joining the picket line, going to social media or emailing Carleton executives, they can expect a long strike ahead.
