The strike may be over, but residual changes and tensions remain
Matt Shipley (he/him) // Coordinating Editor
Megan Barry // Illustrator
Nearly seven weeks after full strike action began on CapU campuses, the MoveUP union representing members of CapU’s workforce reached a tentative bargain with the University’s administration. This tentative bargain has now been ratified, and CapU’s workforce is back in time to offer a relatively uninterrupted experience to fall 2023 students, but some bitterness lingers between the two parties involved.
One of the main issues that dragged the strike onward was the fear that the University would seek to punish actions taken by MoveUP members during the strike. While the strike was intended only to last for a few days, following weeks saw the entrenchment of both sides and a heightening of tensions that ran deeper than merely the wording of their contract.
Through the lengthening of the strike, students unavoidably became involved. Classes were cancelled and work was put on hold, leaving many international students uncertain of their ability to continue studying in Canada.
“I had lost all certainty within my pathway to permanent residency,” said Sofiia Iudanova, an international student working within the MoveUP union. “I’m really tied to a full-time job to make that work, and the strike pushed my timeline a whole month back.”
Much of the lingering tension between the two parties hinges on blame placed for interrupting the lives of students.
“It’s not a huge change in the contract,” said Christy Slusarenko, VP Combined Units at MoveUP in a previous statement to the Courier. “However, [the University] is choosing this fight and, in turn, letting the students down.”
Registration for new students was also affected, as staff in the Registrar’s Office and IT Department were striking during this crucial period. Since the end of full strike action, most registration concerns have been addressed, but unprecedented numbers of students have been left waitlisted or unregistered.
The University did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
More information will be provided soon.