On 23 February 2024, at the Special General Membership meeting of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903 (CUPE), members voted strongly in favour of initiating strike action on February 26 until a fair employment contract is negotiated. CUPE represents teaching assistants, contract faculty, graduate assistants, and part-time librarians and archivists across York University and Osgoode Hall Law School. The strike comes as a last resort after months of failed negotiations between CUPE and the University. As of February 26, seven Picket Lines have been set up across York’s Keele campus at Pond Road, Main Gate (York Blvd.), Chimneystack Road, Founders Road, Northwest Gate/Howard Moscoe (Pioneer Village Subway Station), Shoreham Drive, and Sentinel Road. CUPE’s negotiations for a new collective agreement are based on the following grounds: the cost-of-living crisis, protecting the rights of union members, job security, and ensuring better working conditions which would translate into better learning conditions for students. CUPE members are asking for substantial increases in wages and health benefits, better processes for addressing harassment and discrimination cases, improvement in workplace accessibility and accommodations, a holistic job security program, and a reduction in class sizes and workload. More information about the 2023-2024 bargaining priorities and process can be found here: https://3903.cupe.ca/bargaining-2023/. During the strike, students can expect some classes to be cancelled or moved online, coursework not being graded, and some professors and teaching assistants choosing to not answer course-related questions. CUPE has also urged students to refrain from crossing the picket lines and not enter the University campus while the strike is ongoing. York University students, including Osgoode students, are protected by the York Senate Policy, which grants “immunity from penalty, to reasonable alternative access to materials covered in their absence, to reasonable extensions of deadlines and to such other remedy as Senate deems necessary and consistent with the principle of academic integrity” to students who choose not to attend class or engage with coursework during this strike. For more information about the impact that this strike will have on students, the CUPE website maintains an FAQ page that can be accessed here: https://3903.cupe.ca/2024/02/24/strike-faq-for-students/.