Information from CUPE

Information from York

Updates from Winters

Friday 12 December

1. Student Financial Services are open until the close of business on 23 December and reopen on 5 January 2009.

2. Neither the York web page nor CUPE  supply e-mail addresses to which you can send your opinions about the strike.  Christina Rousseau - christina.rousseau@gmail.com – is the Chair of CUPE and Mamdouh  Shoukri - mshoukri@yorku.ca – is York’s President. 

3.  Please have happy but (as I must declare as Academic Advisor) studious holidays!

Thursday 11 December:  09:05

1. Thursday "Tool Kit": http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11704

2.  Revised Parking Policy and extentions: http://www.yorku.ca/parking/

3.  Student Financial Services have been open during the strike.  Students have had access to these and all University services, Libraries and Departments and will continue to be able to use them as necessary.

4. Sheridan College has not suspended classes!  Dates and times in the Sheriden calendar have not changed for this term and the next, which begins on 5 January 2009.

5.  Statement from CUPE to its members 16:42: cupe-11-dec.htm

Wednesday 10 December: 09:50

1.  Statement from Senate about diminishing possibility of classes' resuming  in December: senate-09-12.htm

2.  Wednesday's "Tool Kit": http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11691

3. Students who resign  or transfer  from York before the end of term will not receive refunds according to current University regulations.  We reached the date for refunds for dropped courses before the strike was called. Classes have been suspended not cancelled. 

4. From CUPE (14:24): cupe-10-dec.htm

Tuesday 9 December

1. Parking  fees will be extended  into the restarted Fall term. 

2. Here is the latest from York: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11688

3. No news from CUPE as of 15:00

4. Plans for April will obviously have to be put on hold.  Those who have made arrangements may be able to negotiated individually with understanding instructors.  But, as ever, the last word is with the  University Senate.  There will also be every opportunity for individual students to petition with respect to special circumstances.

5.  Rooms in residence will also be available until the end of the examination period in Winter Term which as of the moment will have to be well into April and May.

6.  OSAP payments will be available on schedule.  Your are still full time students (but on hold!)

Monday 8 December

I have misread the instructions from Vice-Presidents about how to proceed in answering your questions and delivering information and suggestions about the strike. 

Please continue to address your questions to me at pswarney@yorku.ca or wcaa@yorku.ca and not to Vice-President Brian Abner!

My replies and suggestions will be reviewed to see whether Official Policy has been misinterpreted by me.  If so, corrections will be issued in a timely fashion.

For the latest “Strike Tool Kit” go to: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11673.

Please note that this latest link  will now replace the "Strike Tool Kit" link in my Information from York page.   You will find various links in the "Tool Kit" to other sources of Official Information from York.

Here's the latest from CUPE: 08-dec.htm

And here's a proposal from Akansha  Arora: http://www.yorku.ca/pswarney/Winters/akanksha-arora%20.doc

Monday’s Questions:

1.  Classes  have been suspended as of 6 November, the Fall term has not been cancelled and Senate has announced  no plans to do so!

2.  Senate has made no pronouncements about parking fees. I am assured that the University may treat this problem along the lines in place for students' residences which is treated somewhere in the "Tool Kit".  I personally would be first to  appeal to Senate to prorate parking fees according to the number of days classes have been suspended, although Senate could argue that access to York was not denied to students only delayed by strikers.  That said this is but my reading and from my experience I’m not sure even Senate can easily prevail over Parking!

3.  Winter (next) Term will now obviously have to extend at the least into April and May. Details will be announced by Senate immediately the strike is over.  This will, of course, be yet another huge inconvenience to all students, especially those who have plans for summer employment.  As reiterated in these posting, in my long experience of strikes at York the University will be accommodating where and whenever accommodation can be made.  Nothing can be either announced or promised in advance of the strike's end other  than at this moment the  term and the year have not been and will not be cancelled.

4. Fall Classes will resume at the end of the strike and continue until the end of term as defined by Senate.  Winter term will then begin as defined by Senate.

And some suggestions:

A. You should by this time have done whatever you could to keep up with your work as best you have been able.  Staying in touch with your instructors who were willing to communicate with you has always been an option.   If you haven't cracked a book since 6 November (or before!), start doing so now.  The strike will end. Be ready to hit the ground running!

B. The advice given way back in September that you should have read this term at least two books that have nothing to do with your courses still stands and should be increased to three!  It is a matter of well known fact that most successful professional are widely read especially outside their areas of specialization.  Ephemeral pop idols may be an exception.  Take up a book and you will be a much more accomplished painter, dancer, actor, oboist, carpenter, lawyer, plumber, art historian  or even papyrologist!

Friday 5 December

1.  York continues to up date its strike Tool Kit which contains most of the relevant links to sites with information from York: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11663

2.   From the Toronto Star 4 December:  http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11666

3.  From CUPE  5 December: cupe-05.dec.htm

Thursday 4 December

1.  Today, Thursday, Workshop: "Presenting with Confidence" with Briony Glassco 10:00 and 12:30 Senior Common Room 021 Winters College.

2. Remember that only classes are suspended during the strike. All student services and academic offices are up and running at the usual hours.  Questions academic, financial and personal will be answered at appropriate offices by e-mail, by phone or in person.  You will find numbers and addresses of Departments at: http://mocha.yorku.ca/atlas/servlet/atlas or, if you are clever than I, by cruising York's web-site.  The best place to start for financial matters is the Bennett Centre.  With fewer students now on Campus service will be very fast wherever you need help and advice.

Wednesday 3 December

1.  Here is a note sent by Dean Robert Drummond to a Professor in Humanities and then distributed to members of the Division.  Dean Drummond is the Chair of the negotiating team for the University in this strike (and types with two fingers as does the present commentator whose dysdactylic errors have appeared in these communications now completing their 4th week.)  drummond.htm

2.  York again has recast its strike Tool Kit which contains most of the relevant links to sites with information from York. http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11644

3. If you have not already done so, let us know if you plan to attend tormorrow's, Thursday's, Workshop "Presenting with Confidence" with Briony Glassco.  R.S.V.P.

4.  York has also circulated an editorial from the Toronto Star from yesterday:

http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11643

Tuesday 2 December

1.   Statement from York: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11639

2.  It would appear, unofficially, to a seasoned veteran that classes will not resume this month.  Never-the-less students who must leave for jobs should follow the same sensible procedure outlined yesterday for those needing to travel.  Send a note to your instructors with a copy to chairs of appropriate departments before you leave.

3. If you have not already done so, let us know if you plan to attend Thursday's Workshop "Presenting with Confidence" with Briony Glassco.  R.S.V.P.

4.  Statement from CUPE: cupe-02-dec.htm

5.  Update from York on cost of settling: http://webapps.yorku.ca/NegotiationsUpdates/doc/Highlights%20of%20the%20latest%20proposal.pdf

6.  Update on Senate Policy: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/Strike2008/Dec2Bulletin6.pdf

7.  Update from York: http://webapps.yorku.ca/NegotiationsUpdates/doc/Communication.pdf

8. Questions about refunding tuition seem as reasonable as binding arbitration to end the strike.  In each instance the situation, as things stand, would have to be changed by Provincial legislation.  As long as the term is suspended but not cancelled the University can not be deemed not to have fulfilled its contract agreed upon when you paid tuition.

Monday 1 December

1. Statement from CUPE: cupe-01-dec.htm

2. Strike Toolkit from York: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11623

3.  Everyone who has tickets for going home should go home on the date that was planned.  Those who need to make arrangements should do so.  If you cannot send a note to each of your instructors letting them know that you have left, send the note to the Department.  In fact, you should copy notes sent to your instructors about your leaving to the chairs of relevant Department.  You may find addresses in the York Atlas: http://mocha.yorku.ca/atlas/servlet/atlas

4. As stated many times before, I know of no instances from the past where York students have succeed in having tuition and fees refunded because of strikes and suspended classes.

5.  Don't forget Sinfonia Toronto in concert today at 5:30 -FREE!

6.  The term, like negotiations, has been suspended not cancelled.  It will continue after the strike has ended, provided, of course, that negotiations continue!

Sunday 30 November:

1. Statement from CUPE:cupe-30-nov.htm

2. Statement from York: http://webapps.yorku.ca/NegotiationsUpdates/doc/Communication.pdf

3.  Press release from York: http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.asp?Release=1565

4. Questions about when the strike will end and what will happen concerning arrangements that students have negotiated for the end of term or the end of the year can not be answered with any certainty by anyone. Your circumstances will be addressed by the University Senate and by appropriate Offices, if necessary on an individual basis

5.  Don't forget Sinfonia Toronto in concert tomorrow -FREE!

Saturday 29 November

The latest from CUPE may be found at: http://www.yorku.ca/pswarney/Winters/cupe-28-nov

There is nothing new from the University.

Those who have negotiated jobs for the end of term will have a good case for consideration should the strike end in time for a return to classes in December.  This is not an official pronouncement but one from a source who has been around universities for a long time!  The strike may seem unreasonable to many students; the return to classes and exams will, however, be reasonable and understanding of special considerations.

Some [[No]] news is good news(?)
Friday 28 November

1.     10:00 Nothing has emerged from yesterday's [Thursday's] advertised meeting between the University and the striking Graduate Students and Contract Faculty.  This may mean that they are still talking. 

10:30  CUPE's website from last night  states that negotiations continue!: http://www.3903strike.ca/3903-negotiations-update-nov-27

2.     The question about access to studio space and rehearsal rooms has come up yet again.  Please tell anyone who tells you that spaces  are not available that you have been advised to inform Dean Zatzman if you are refused access to studio spaces. Send a note to Associate Dean Belarie Zatzman bzatzman@yorku.ca if you are refused.
 

3.     About all that can be done by students to speed the progress of arbitration and settlement of the strike would be to organize yourselves to counter the impression given by YSF that students support the strike.   Threatening to leave  York for another university looks dramatic in theory but in practice requires a lot of paperwork and formal application to another school which is not obliged to take you into the programmes that you might want.  And you will loose credit for this term's work. 

4.    Those who wish to apply for the Concurrent Programmes in the Faculty of Education may wish to look at the application procedure and spend this "free" time assembling all that is needed and preparing your statement that must accompany the application.  Remember also that you must demonstrate experience with young people of the ages that you wish to teach. For complete information and deadlines follow the link to education given below

Important reminder for students in their final year:    

   The deadline for applications to the consecutive programme in the Faculty of Education is today, Friday 28 November.  For more information and applications go to: http://www.yorku.ca/foe/bed/index.html.