U of T and USW reach a tentative deal, just before classes began on Tuesday
· Toronto Sun
See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
The University of Toronto and the United Steelworkers Local 1998 have reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday.
Visit djcc.club for more information.
The new contract, if ratified by the U of T Staff Appointed Unit (UTSA), comes hours before the beginning of the fall semester at the U of T. Workers were in a legal strike position on Tuesday.
The agreement comes after several months of talks, including a bargaining session that lasted into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
“I am pleased to announce that the University and the USW Local 1998 reached a tentative agreement early on Tuesday,” Kenneth Corts, vice-president, People, Finance and Digital Services, told the Toronto Sun in a written statement. “All employees in the bargaining unit are encouraged to participate in the ratification process. I would like to thank both bargaining teams for their professionalism and hard work throughout negotiations.”
Thousands of employees affected
More than 6,000 employees are represented by the UTSA. Employees work in varied disciplines such as program coordinators, academic advisors, IT workers and lab assistants.
The tentative deal comes after the union announced Sunday that 96% of ballots cast by members were in favour of a strike.
The next step in this months-long saga is the ratification process. The union told the Toronto Sun that no official ratification date has been confirmed.
No terms of the deal were publicly released.
Prior to reaching a tentative agreement, the two sides were at an impasse on items such as wage increases to keep pace with the rising cost of living, health-care benefits, remote work and artificial intelligence protections.