The Strike Continues … Mostly

Mediation again broke down this weekend as York and CUPE, Local 3093 seem unable to find a settlement zone.   This means the classes remain cancelled for most York students.  Classes resume at Osgoode Hall today for undergrad law students.  But, even there, things are far from normal.  What the Senate approved was York’s remediation plan, which did not require classes to be taught per se.  Instead, it allowed professors some flexibility in deciding how to proceed so that the courses are completed.  Some profs are teaching the course electronically, while others are teaching their courses as reading courses.  
But all of the Osgoode profs will be concluding their classes, whether they want to or not.  The trouble for faculty anywhere at York who do not want to cross the picket line is that they have no contractual right to refuse to cross a legal picket line.  Therefore, they can be disciplined for refusing to teach a course that has received an exemption.  It’s not clear what position CUPE 3093 is taking in that regard — whether it expects professors to risk discipline by ignoring the Employer’s demand to resume teaching.  Do you think a prof should be disciplined for refusing to teach a course the University has exempted from the no-classes policy?
As noted before, no student at York is required to cross a picket line or attend a course that has received an exemption from the no-classes policy.  Therefore, any profs teaching exempted courses may face the difficulty of having to make up the course for students who do not come to class.
In the meantime, we are getting closer to the possibility of classes being cancelled for the remainder of the calendar year.  Keep tuned…