Traffic delays near the University of Toronto Mississauga continued on Tuesday afternoon as picket lines dotted the area around campus.
Some reports indicated that motorists on Mississauga Road near campus experienced delays of up to 90 minutes due to picketing.
Peel Regional Police, on site assisting with traffic flow, advised drivers to avoid Mississauga Road between Burnhamthorpe and Dundas.
News helicopters were also spotted circling over the campus throughout the day.
The strike involving CUPE 3902 Unit 1, which includes some 6,000 teaching assistants, exam invigilators and other academic staff, continued on Monday as both the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 bargaining team and university administration declined to accept offers put forth by the other.
In a press release on Tuesday, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) acknowledged the frustrations encountered by many UTM students during the strike. “All students are currently experiencing the inconveniences caused by the strike, whether it is the long walks to campus, our inability to receive our grades on time, our inability to attend classes, choose subject posts, or graduate on time,” the statement reads.
The statement also called on the university to offer the union a deal that is “fair and equal.”
“The counter-offer that was recently proposed does not display any interest on the part of the university administration in a fair and equal agreement. The university should understand that, if they are ‘committed to our academic success’ then they must make every effort to negotiate in good faith with our educators who are the key to that very success,” the statement adds.
