>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jamie Paquin
[mailto:jamiepaquin@hotmail.com]
>Sent: December 8, 2000 5:35 PM
>To: CULTSTUD-L: A listserv devoted to
Cultural Studies
>Subject: [cultstud-l] York University
(Toronto) Strike
>
>
>Hello list members,
>
>On behalf of striking TAs, GAs, and
contract faculty at York, I am
>including
>a brief on our now 6 week long
strike. I hope you can show us
>some support.
>
>Thanks,
>Jamie Paquin
>PhD I, Sociology
>York University
>
>(4th December, 2000)
>
>SIX WEEK STRIKE AT YORK UNIVERSITY,
TORONTO, CANADA - WE ARE STRIKING TO
>WIN!!!!
>
>2000 Teaching Assistants, Contract
Faculty and Graduate/Research
>Assistants
>have shut down York University, an
institution that serves 40 000
>students,
>for SIX weeks now!!!
>
>We, members of CUPE local 3903
(Canadian Union of Public Employees), have
>been on strike at York University for
tuition indexation, job
>security and a
>fair first contract for the newly
unionized Graduate/Research Assistants.
>The employer - at this seemingly public
institution with an increasing
>corporate attitude (their bargaining
team is run by an outside
>lawyer from a
>notorious union-busting firm) - refuses
to consider our proposals.
>
>We have amended our demands twice in
bargaining, and yet, this past week,
>talks broke down when the employer told
us they would only bargain if we
>‘move significantly on the outstanding
issues’. This means bargaining with
>conditions. Our only condition is that
the employer explore a broader
>vocabulary that expands significantly
beyond their intransigent ‘no’.
>
>More activity has certainly taken place
outside of bargaining -
>the employer
>has been aggressively using every
tactic in the book to bust our strike.
>They have threatened us with eviction
off their private property,
>served us
>with a trespassing notice, faxed
criminal allegations to the police and
>media that have yet to be
substantiated, turned off campus lights at a
>university entrance during a night
picket shift, and confiscated our fire
>barrels and safety equipment. We have
called their bluff on each occasion.
>Our union will not be divided, our
union will not be broken and
>our members
>cannot be demoralized.
>
>Why are our demands important? Why will
we not give up? Although
>it comes at
>a huge personal cost for our members,
we believe we are engaged in a
>political strike. We believe our
struggle could serve to mobilize graduate
>student workers and contract faculty
elsewhere in Canada, and
>beyond. We are
>opposed to the corporatization of
public education. We are struggling for
>accessible and quality public
education. We have already struggled hard in
>the past and have the best contracts in
the country in this sector. Last
>year other graduate student workers
went out on strike and
>demanded ‘parity
>with York’. We now risk losing what
makes our contract unique, but WE WILL
>NOT BACK DOWN.
>
>What do we want? Some of our members
have taught on contracts at York
>University for many years. They have
been, and continue to be, the
>backbone
>of what makes York University a popular
university (in social sciences -
>which admittedly is not a prestigious
scholarly pursuit in the upcoming
>corporatized academic world of
information technology). And yet
>they have to
>apply for their job every single year.
They accept incredible workloads,
>just to be able to carve out a living.
They are frustrated and overworked.
>They want a measure of JOB SECURITY, so
that they can focus on
>their work -
>teaching.
>
>Our teaching assistants and
graduate/research assistants want tuition
>indexation. Some of our current members
already have it, and yet
>they strike
>- as our union demands that tuition
indexation be guaranteed to those
>student workers coming into the
university in future years. Our newest
>members are demanding it for the first
time. What we are doing is opposing
>the deregulation of tuition, by
demanding that it be re-regulated in our
>contract. We are the only graduate
student workers in Canada that have
>regulated tuition through our contract.
AND WE WILL NOT GIVE UP THE FIGHT
>FOR IT!!!
>
>For a more detailed summary of our
issues, facts and figures, please visit
>our website at http://3903.cupe.ca
>
>You can help us in our struggle by
e-mailing, faxing or phoning the
>President of York University, Lorna
Marsden, and demand that our employer,
>York University, SETTLE NOW, with a
just contract for CUPE 3903. Lorna
>Marsden can be contacted at:
>
>e-mail: presidnt@yorku.ca (please cc.
cupe3903@tao.ca)
>
>fax: 416 - 736 5641
>
>phone: 416 - 736 5200
>
>Please forward to others who demand and
struggle for the quality and
>accessibility of public education.
>
>OPPOSE THE CORPORATIZATION AND
PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION!!!
>
>
>In solidarity, CUPE 3903
>