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Dear History
Graduate Students, CUPE 3903 members and our supporters, This is not going to go for long
but I must take this time to say how deeply – in fact nearly strutting and
posing – proud I am to be associated with you.
I know that we are all flushed with the heat and warmth (not necessarily
the same thing) of a well-deserved victory.
I also know that we all have stories, scars and memories of previous
struggles that have shaped us to this time.
But for me, I must tell you how special (hate that word but Thesaurus
wouldn’t help) that you and this moment are. About three years ago, I was
involved in a high school teachers strike in Simcoe County. We, like other teachers in both the
elementary and the secondary panels across Ontario, were on strike for
principles. We did the walking in
circles. We did the heated
debates. We ate Timbits until we hated
their sight and smell. We talked and
ranted of principles – great lofty principles that would never be taken from
our still-alive arms. And after several
weeks on the line and a faltering showing of dismal bravado, we folded. We followed the sensible line. We were adults (of the having kids,
mortgages and lawnmowers kind). We took the meager offer of slight rebuke and
accepted the continued erosion of public education by our Common Sense
government and its lackeys (is this too strong?). I suppose that I have a good
grasp on the rationales for that folding – being older and more seasoned (but
clearly not wiser as events would show).
Still the events really trashed me. Fortunately for angels, I could get
out of the secondary system and move on to where I wanted to be – a Grad
Student, don’t-you-know. But our
folding burned me steadily and constantly. So what happened this fall – I
told you this wasn’t going on for long.
I was as happy as the proverbial clam with a dissertation proposal all
set to go and working in group that I thought was aces – how much aces I was to
learn over 11 weeks. No, I can not go
there – we all have myriad stories and smiles of just how much we are aces and
that this is best. But I would like to
get to this letter is all about. Since October 26, I have walked
with, talked with and laughed with some absolutely incredible people whom I
might never have really met. I have
been cold too but not nearly as cold as those who trudged every day. I have
been frustrated by personal prognostications (I should know better) and by
suggestions that “perhaps I should just get back to work”. But I never thought that I would be part of
a victory of principles. Hell, I never thought that I would see a victory of
principles. And I am and I did! It does not get better than this! And for that, I am incredibly grateful and
proud of CUPE and the Fortress Founders.
Wow, to win on principles!! This is not something that happens every day
(although it should). Perhaps I say
thank you too much but nonetheless, thank you for the catharsis and most of all
for the friendship and the victory. Best Regards, John Montgomery |
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