The strike by Western University's roughly 2,000 graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) has entered its 12th day.
Western and the Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 610 (PSAC 610), the union representing GTAs, resumed talks on Sunday. However, the two sides reached an impasse and negotiations came to a halt after 13 hours. Both sides have accused the other of cutting talks off.
"We were hopeful that we could secure a new agreement with Western after we made real progress throughout the day for the first time with the University,” said PSAC Local 610 President Pardis Baha. “Our team asked that we continue negotiations the following day, but Western refused and instead sent out a false media release stating the union had walked away from the table.”
Graduate teaching assistants at the university have been on strike since April 11. They are calling for livable wages and improved housing subsidies.
The post secondary institution publicly released its latest offer, stating it offered an hourly wage increase of 3 per cent that is retroactive to January 1 that would bring the pay to $48.64 an hour. It also included additional yearly increases that would lift the hourly rate to $52.38 by September 2026. Western's previous offer increased hourly wages to $51.10 by year four of the collective agreement.
Graduate teaching assistant positions are part-time with wages capped at a maximum of 10 hours per week.
According to the union, Western is avoiding a demand to include claw-back protection language in any new contract. Such language would make it so any gains made in the newly negotiated contract are not lost with reductions to working hours or funding packages.
"Clearly, Western is more interested in playing games, than ending this strike,” said Craig Reynolds, PSAC Ontario regional executive vice-president. “Western knows that PSAC’s bargaining team is available and willing to continue negotiations this week. The choice is theirs to make.”
Western has stated it is open to returning to the table "at any time."
"The university is doing all that it can to reach an agreement that is fair and equitable, and we remain committed to achieving a mutually agreeable contract," Western's Provost and Vice-President Academic Florentine Strzelczyk said in a statement. "Outside of current negotiations, Western has been listening and responding to the needs of graduate students in several other ways. This includes: doubling the amount of funding requested by the Graduate Student Association for students affected by inflationary costs, significantly increasing bursary funding and adding additional staff resources to directly support graduate students, and committing to build new housing for graduate students."
While picket lines are set up at all entrances to the campus, the university remains open. All campus activities, including exams, are continuing, Western said.
