On June 24, YUSA officers and members stood in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1998 at a rally to support and protect hybrid work.
USW Local 1998 represents over 8,000 staff at the University of Toronto across its three campuses: St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough. The university is attempting to end remote work for USW members and in this round of bargaining USW members are sending a clear message that they will not allow U of T to erode the rights or accept an unfair deal.
This is an important issue that extends beyond the University of Toronto. The outcome of these negotiations could influence other post-secondary institutions, including York University. By standing in solidarity with USW Local 1998, YUSA is demonstrating our commitment to protecting collectively bargained rights and highlighting the importance of safeguarding hybrid work as we prepare for our own round of bargaining in 2027.
YUSA President Sonny Day was invited to speak at the rally and expressed YUSA’s support for our colleagues at U of T and shared news of our recent successful rounds of bargaining where YUSA was able to fight off concessionary demands from our employer and win significant gains after receiving a supermajority strike mandate from our membership. We are confident that our brothers and sisters at USW 1998 will also be successful in their upcoming round of bargaining and their fight to preserve hybrid work and YUSA will be supporting them every step of the way!
