For Immediate Release
November 13, 2008
Thornhill Peter Shurman, Member of Provincial Parliament (Thornhill), has called the CUPE 3903 strike at York University offensive and is demanding that the McGuinty government take immediate action to protect York University students and their academic year.
?I?m offended as a representative of the constituents who attend York University and whose academic careers are threatened. I am offended as an Ontarian fully aware of the thousands of job losses that our province has sustained and I am offended as a former employer when I hear of the outrageous demands and the apparent lack of good will on the part of the union,? said Shurman. ?All these factors should spur the McGuinty government into action. Instead, they?re sitting on the sidelines like a car that?s overstayed the idle limit, polluting Ontario?s air but not contributing in any meaningful way.?
Shurman pointed out that a drawn out strike could have damaging consequences for students who depend on their summer incomes to support them throughout the year, those looking to graduate this year, and students who may have jobs lined up right after graduation.
?Should their academic and professional careers suffer because the union wants to gain leverage in the next round of negotiations? Is this government really going to just stand back and allow students to be sacrificed for the sake of a union?s political strategy? What is it about the word ?responsibility? that the McGuinty government and CUPE 3903 don?t get?? Shurman asked. ?That aside, where else in times like these could you ask for an 11% increase over two years and not be a laughingstock?? he added.
Shurman said that while he is disappointed with the McGuinty government not taking a stand to protect more than 50,000 York students, he is not really surprised.
?This government has made a career out of backing away from tough decisions, especially when it comes to saying ?no? to spending. They clearly don?t want to risk a confrontation with the union, so they make York University students bear the cost for their lack of backbone.?
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For further information please contact:
Monika Bujalska, Executive Assistant to
Peter Shurman, M.P.P.-Thornhill
647-293-7918 e:mail:monika.bujalska@pc.ola.org