Those of us who were at York during the 2000-01 strike may remember that we have seen collective bargaining rights curtailed by a forced ratification vote before. For those who were not around or have forgotten this episode in York’s history, here is an excerpt of David McNally’s commentary written just before a forced ratification vote–seven years ago.
York Vote a Dangerous Signal
By David McNally (2000-01)
“In the present state of society, in fact, it is the possibility of the strike which enables workers to negotiate with their employers on terms of approximate equality. . . If the right to strike is suppressed, or seriously limited, the trade union movement becomes nothing more than one institution among many in the service of capitalism: a convenient organization for disciplining workers, occupying their leisure time, and ensuring their profitability for business.”
— Pierre Trudeau, The Asbestos Strike
Much delight greeted the news last month that the York University Administration could force its striking teaching assistants, contract faculty and research assistants to vote on a management offer. After a two month disruption of classes, many hoped that those of us who work and study at York might soon get back to our classrooms. Behind this news, however, loomed another message, one that is ought to be deeply troubling to those who care about the democratic rights of trade unions in our society.
The contract vote that members of CUPE 3903 will conduct this Thursday and Friday is the result of a Tory-created section of the Ontario Labour Relations Act (OLRA) that enables an employer to force a vote on a contract proposal rejected by a union’s elected negotiating committee and/or its executive. There is nothing innocent about this provision of the Act; it is merely one component in a series of legal changes designed to give employers more weapons against unions. From its inception, the Harris government undertook a vigorous attack on trade union rights.
To read the complete commentary, click York Vote a Dangerous Signal.
Tags: forced ratification
