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The calendar has turned to December and there's no end in sight, it seems, to the York University strike.

A glimmer of hope, which flared up last week with the resumption of talks, appears to have been snuffed out when they once again ground to a halt before the weekend. Almost 50,000 students, save for those in the business and law faculties, remain out of class as a result of the dispute between CUPE 3903 - which represents contract faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants - and the university administration.

While it may not yet compare unfavourably to the 11-week work stoppage that hit the university in 2001 (in which not all classes were suspended), this current imbroglio has still seen a significant cost imposed on all sides. Today marks four weeks of cancelled classes. That's more than a quarter of a semester gone.

And that's where we place the spotlight: on one of the most unfortunate consequences of this situation. Fact is, if one talks to either side in the dispute, you'll likely hear that they feel they don't have a choice in the matter, that they are compelled to occupy the position they occupy. That's what happens in labour disputes where sides dig in their heels.

The more regrettable and lamentable price, though, is the one paid by those who don't have a choice in the matter at all: the students.

Simply put, both sides need to hammer out a deal and get things back up and running as quickly as possible. Failing that, binding arbitration seems to a perfectly sensible solution. This whole thing has gone on far too long.

Time to end the strike? It's a practical - if not well overdue - notion. As improbable as this scenario may seem to either side currently, it's what's eventually going to have to happen. So why wait?

Practically speaking, at some point this is going be all over.

Practically speaking, at some point the sides are going to have to work together again.

Practically speaking, getting students back in class to resume their studies should be the goal of both sides.

At this stage of the dispute, given the amount of time lost, schedules, summer jobs, internships are now going to be negatively impacted. Even if a solution is to reached soon, the aforementioned situations are going to be a significant challenge to surpass.

There is a deal to be made here. Both sides need to come back to the table and make it.