From:
news and announcements for members of CUPE local 3903
[3903NEWS@YorkU.CA]
on behalf of michelle lowry [mlowry@YorkU.CA]
Sent:
December 5, 2000 8:37 AM
To:
3903NEWS@YORKU.CA
Subject:
Solidarity Letters
Letters
of solidarity from Caroline Fusco at U
of T; Albert Masters at U
of
T;Tina Basi - MA Gender Studies,Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies
School
of Sociology and Social Policy.University of Leeds; Joel Duff,
President
Graduate Students' Association, University of Ottawa
1.
Here's
a letter of support from a colleague at UofT, who registers her
concern
that York-sponsored events (such as the LaMarsh Centre-sponsored
Michael
Smith Seminars on Violence & Sport) are continuing off-campus...
----------
From: caroline fusco[SMTP:c.fusco@utoronto.ca]
Sent: December 1, 2000 7:48 AM
To: exs.fpeh@utoronto.ca
Cc: lamarsh@yorku.ca; gregm@yorku.ca;
jay.johnson@utoronto.ca;
bruce.kidd@utoronto.ca
Subject: Re: Michael Smith Seminars on Violence
and Sport--Dec 7
To
whom it may concern,
I
am registering my disappointment that this series is going ahead as
planned-albeit
in a different venue-while the strike by contract faculty,
graduate
assistants and teaching assistants at York University continues.
Relocating
events off York campus until the strike is settled only
benefits
York University's administration. In order to pressure York
University's
Administration into fair contract negotiations the only
available
option for the striking staff is to engage in a policy of
disrupting
these "normal events" at York University. The appearance of
"business
as normal" works against the striking contract faculty, graduate
assistants
and teaching assistants at York University.
Caroline
Fusco.
----------
>From:
Exercise Sciences <exs.fpeh@utoronto.ca>
>To:
unlisted-recipients:; (no To-header on input)
>Subject:
Michael Smith Seminars on Violence and Sport--Dec 7
>Date:
Thu, Nov 30, 2000, 5:19 PM
LAMARSH
CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON VIOLENCE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION PRESENTS
THE
MICHAEL SMITH SEMINARS ON VIOLENCE AND SPORT:
Relocated
off York Campus until settlement of strike)
PICKING
UP THE PIECES: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR SPORT INITIATIONS
With
Jay Johnson, OISE/UT
Thursday,
December 7, 2000
University
of Toronto
Benson
Building (Corner of Harbord and Spadina)
Boardroom
302 (third floor)
3-5
p.m.
Jay
Johnson, B.A., B.Ed., M.Sc., Ph.D, (in process, University of Toronto)
will
present some of the traditional practices of initiation and hazing in
sport.
Many >> aspects of the rituals can involve degradation,
humiliation,
and both physical and sexual assault.
Jay will illustrate
some
of the cutting-edge programs, which are being inaugurated by athletic
departments
in an attempt to curtail abusive types of initiations.
------------------------------------
2.
Dear
President Marsden:
I
am writing to you as in support of the
striking CUPE workers at York
University.
I believe that their proposals are reasonable and fair.
I
believe that as a minimum these workers are entitled to job security for
contract
faculty, protection from tuition increases for teaching
assistants
and graduate assistants (who perform research for faculty), a
fair
first contract for graduate assistants, smaller class sizes, and an
equitable
wage
increase.
I hope that you will reach a fair settlement soon.
Albert
Masters
3.
Dear
Lorna,
I
sincerely hope that this message does not fill your mailbox and that you
do
have the time to read and reply to it.
I
am writing in regards to the ongoing strike at your university. I am
appalled
at the length of time it is taking to reach an agreement and I am
amazed
at your lack of sympathy for your students and staff. Surely you
could
not have forgotten what it was like to live below the poverty line
or
to
work two jobs in the summer and one part time throughout the semester??
Perhaps
you do not share those experiences but I can assure you that a
great
majority
do.
Does
the fact that there has been a 145% increase in tuition over the last
decade
mean nothing to you??? How can you not feel a desire to protect the
future
of our country from those kinds of tuition increases?? Or to
protect
them
from the growing trend towards privatization??? Or is this simply
another
case of Baby Boomers getting something for free and taking it away
once
they've reaped the rewards??? I am ashamed that my generation must
look
to
you as role models. I find it incredible that an institution such as
York
is
abandoning critical thought to chase the almighty dollar.
The
reduction in class sizes, the lack of tenured professors and the
introduction
of summer fees are just a few of the issues to which your
staff
and
students have not received a response. Instead you offer a wage
increase
BELOW
the rate of inflation!! I shudder to think what these kinds of
actions
would
to the level of academic achievement in England.
Yes
Lorna, I too am a graduate student. I am at the University of Leeds
studying
with women such as Griselda Pollock, Ruth Pearson, and Sylvia
Walby.
I would be disgusted with my administration if I was unable to
attend
lectures
and continue my research because of such disregard and lack of
professionalism
on your part.
Beware
Lorna, this struggle affects the international academic community
in
a
large way. I suggest you listen to your staff and students as York's
reputation
is on the demise and YOU are responsible for that.
I
sincerely look forward to your reply.
Yours
truly,
Tina
Basi
MA
Gender Studies
Centre
for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies
School
of Sociology and Social Policy
University
of Leeds
_________________________________
4.
November
8, 2000
Ms.
Lorna Marsden
Office
of the President
York
University
4700
Keele Street
Toronto,
ON M3J 1P3
RE:
Full support for CUPE 3903
Dear
President Marsden,
On
behalf of the 3,000 graduate students at the University of Ottawa, I
wish
to express our unconditional support for the fair and reasonable
demands
of your striking teaching assistants, contract faculty and
graduate
assistants.
The
workers of CUPE 3903 are a vital part of the academic atmosphere of
York
University. As such, they deserve the dignity and respect of a fair
collective
agreement, immediately. Forcing your workers into a strike
position
is detrimental to the learning experience of all of the students
at
York and serves to break down collarboration between the York
administration,
it's workers and it's students.
The
CUPE 3903 workers are not being ambitious
in their demands. Rather,
their
concerns represent the bare minimum of what educational workers
should
be able to expect. Every year, as tuition fees rise faster than
student
wages, our ability to succeed becomes increasingly remote. This
represents
a great threat to the quality and reputation of a York
University
degree. It is incumbent upon the York administration to provide
a
living wage for all your workers - fixing wages increases to tuition
increases
would demonstrate a commitment to this principle.
In
addition, the CUPE 3903 demands demonstrate their commitment to
teaching
excellence and to improving the quality of the learning
experience
for undergraduate students at York. Reducing class sizes is a
vital
step in promoting a learning environment in which students are able
to
get the teaching support and attention that they need and deserve.
The
resistance of the York administration to meeting your workers' demands
for
fairness and respect has forced the CUPE 3903 workers into a strike
situation.
As many graduate students of the University of Ottawa are also
CUPE
workers, we are watching York's shameful disdain for its employees
with
grave concern. University of Ottawa grads urge you to meet your
worker's
demands and reach a fair settlement now.
In
solidarity with CUPE 3903,
Joel
Duff,
President
Graduate
Students' Association, University of Ottawa