YUSA Collective Bargaining - Labour Relations

York University’s approach to collective bargaining with all our bargaining units is informed by five core principles

Open, transparent and honest conduct, knowing that achieving a renewed agreement in a timely manner is in the best interests of our community.

Improving and expanding initiatives that further our principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion across the entire University.

Focusing on the financial wellbeing of our employees and the long-term sustainability of York, taking the current economic climate and fiscal realities into account.

For the bargaining process, the union and its leadership.

To our community.

Meeting Dates

University budget information and FAQ

Community Updates

The bargaining teams for the University and the York University Staff Association (YUSA) have met on 14 dates since the start of bargaining in September 2024. Ten more meeting dates have now been scheduled through to February 2025.

Throughout the course of bargaining, the University has been committed to achieving a negotiated renewal collective agreement that reflects the valued role of YUSA represented employees, while respecting the serious budget challenges facing York and the post-secondary education sector.

To assist in moving the bargaining process forward, on November 15, the University’s bargaining team presented YUSA with a comprehensive framework for settlement that addressed all outstanding non-monetary items.

Then on December 10, the University’s bargaining team presented YUSA with a comprehensive Memorandum of Settlement that addresses both monetary and non-monetary items. The offer provides for salary increases in each of three years of a renewal agreement as well as a revised proposal regarding co-op student placements that is intended to be responsive to the concerns YUSA expressed at the bargaining table.

While bargaining continues to be constructive, we are also looking ahead to February, when the parties will have limited availability to meet. Therefore, in order to maintain our momentum and reach a timely agreement, the University has taken the next step in the bargaining process and requested the assistance of a provincially appointed conciliation officer.

The University is hopeful that with the parties’ continued hard work and the assistance of the conciliation officer, a renewal collective agreement will be reached early in the New Year.

On November 28 and 29, 2024, the bargaining committees for the University and the York University Staff Association Unit 1 (YUSA-1) are set to meet to continue negotiating a renewal collective agreement, with a total of six more meeting dates confirmed through to December 19, 2024.

Considering that the parties have met ten times since negotiations commenced in September, to assist in moving the process forward, at the most recent meeting the University presented YUSA-1 with a comprehensive framework for settlement which aims to address all outstanding non-monetary issues.

When the parties meet on November 28, 2024, they will receive a presentation from the Office of the Provost that provides a detailed update on enrolments.

The University looks forward to our upcoming discussions with YUSA-1 in the hopes that the parties will make significant progress on all outstanding non-monetary issues and will be positioned to begin discussing monetary items.

The bargaining committees for the University and the York University Staff Association Unit 1 (YUSA-1) have been meeting to negotiate a renewal collective agreement since September. The parties scheduled 16 bargaining dates for the Fall term, with nine remaining, including a December 19, 2024, meeting.

The parties have reached agreement on some items, most recently including the renewal of a revised Letter of Understanding: Joint Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEDI) Committee. This agreement furthers the University’s commitment to DEDI and the important work being undertaken with its union partners on these measures.

The parties are scheduled to meet next on November 5, 2024. Further meeting dates can be found here.

The bargaining committees for the University and the York University Staff Association (YUSA) met for their first three days of negotiations on September 17, 19 and 24, 2024 with 13 more dates scheduled between now and December 19, 2024.

As the University enters these negotiations it is working towards a clear path to financial sustainability and to implement the YorkU Forward Action Plan. The University looks forward to working with YUSA to achieve a negotiated collective agreement.

The parties have agreed to meet on the following dates:

September 17, 19 and 24
October 9, 15, 22, 23
November 5, 14, 15, 28, 29
December 9, 10, 18, 19