1/ I have a modest proposal to end the York U. strike.
2/ I'm fairly sure York faculty would never countenance idea that 1/3 of new hires *must* be from ranks of contract staff. Of course the York Faculty Assoc. won't say that, they just keep up messaging re: need for "fairness" without ever saying what that means.
3/ (faculty assoc is in a weird position...it can't break solidarity with another on-campus union, but at the same time knows perfectly well there is substantial if not majority opposition of its members to what CUPE 3903 is asking for)
4/ So go around union to faculty themselves - hold a secret ballot re: guaranteed hiring of contract staff. If they're *genuinely* cool with the idea, York could grant union's request. But if - as I think - they're not, a strong message would be sent to CUPE 3903 that it's no go.
5/ Either way, it's a democratic solution and faculty would be in control. Who could object to that?
6/ Side note: I just found out CUPE 3903 and York practice something called (I think) "participatory bargaining", which means any union member can show up to any bargaining session. Which, you know, just *might* be one of those things that makes it tough to make a deal.
7/ There's a reason parties normally negotiate in secret: it's precisely so that hot-heads don't interrupt all the time, arguing that every compromise is a sell-out. I am not sure I could imagine a worse way to bargain collectively.
8/ And of course if you haven't read it already, my long-ish primer on the strike: higheredstrategy.com/the-york-strik…
