Information from CUPE

Information from York

Updates from Winters

Happy New Year(?)

1. CUPE and the University have agreed to meet on Friday 2 January 2009. http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.asp?Release=1576

2. My guess is that there will be few days before the end of the strike and the restart of classes.

Monday 29 December

1.  There is apparently nothing of note going on concerning the strike.

2.  Classes will begin as soon as possible after the end of the strike. You must stay connected!

Sunday 28 December

1.  The University reopens on Monday 5 January 2009 for everything but classes!

2.  The note below may be found at: http://www.yorku.ca/osfs/SAyouracct.shtml

"Note: Your student account in December will reflect both the outstanding balance for your fall courses as well as new charges for your winter courses. Payment would be normally due on Jan. 10, 2009. Due to the labour disruption, the tuition payment deadline for the Winter 2009 Term will be extended as appropriate once the classes resume. Interest charges on outstanding balances will not accrue for the duration of the strike."

3. Summer term has not been cancelled.

4.  Summer employment.

The strike will have a significant impact on dates for Winter Term which will have to be extended at least into May.  Everyone is aware of the implications of this for summer employment for students.  There is nothing that the University can do to alleviate individual difficulties or disasters. 

Some personal observations:

1. Arbitration.

If both the University and the Graduate Students and Contract Faculty are certain of the justice of their demands, they should have no problem submitting them to an external and agreed upon arbitrator who could settle all issues after we resume classes.  As the situation currently stands,  the University had offered arbitration even before the strike began; CUPE, however, appears not to have the confidence that it could convince an impartial arbitrator to accept some or all of its demands. 

2  Student Support for  the Strike.

CUPE and some news reports have assumed  that students support the strike.  The York Student Federation has stated this in its pronouncements.  From my position receiving and answering students’ questions this appears not to be the case.  But very little has been done to demonstrate that students are not in support. Evidently no one has appealed to YSF to change its stand.

3. One of the difficulties in current negotiations is that CUPE is also trying to  align its negotiations with those of other universities in Ontario and thus gain more support for its demands by being able to close classes  across the Province in two years.  Issues at York are not the only issues that CUPE has in mind.

Tuesday 23 December

1. The question about due dates for fees in Winter Term has come up again.  I have seen no information either confirming nor altering the original dues dates. The University Site for important dates -http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/importantdates/fw08.htm provides many links to questions that we have covered in these notes but nothing about fees!  I once assumed that fees would be delayed relative to the start of the reset Winter Term.  I am not an authority on the matter and can't locate anyone who is.  I'll keep trying and inform you as soon as I can find some sort of answer.

2.  For those who like to read in reading week I might suggest that you are now in one of the longest reading periods in the history of York!  Although your Winter assignments are not yet announced, you will be well rested and certainly ready to hand in stunningly researched Fall assignments once the strike is done!  At the moment when we were struck I would in normal times have sent out a reminder that all should have read at least two books  unrelated to assignments by the end of November.  Change that now to seven!

Monday 22 December

1.  For the latest "Strike Tool Kit" see: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11768

2. For the press release concerning reading week see: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11773

3. Plans  made for trips during the now cancelled reading week will have to be negotiated once the strike is over and classes resume.  You may have to petition for rearranging due dates and examinations.  Such petitions have been fairly received in the past.

4.  The date for the start of Winter Term which was supposed to begin on 5 January will be announced by Senate at the end of the strike.

5. The additional 13 days needed to complete the Fall Term will be worked out according to each class once the strike is over.  Days may be changed (as, for example, some of the final classes of this term were to change days in the first week of December.)

6.  Merry Christmas to all!  Stay tuned to: http://www.yorku.ca/pswarney/Winters/  which will be updated as news and questions arise.

Friday 19 December

1. The Executive Committee of Senate has revised a communication (Bulletin #6) on "Academic Remediation: Accommodations, Adjustments and Modifications" which contains important new and updated information.
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/Strike2008/Bulletin%206%20UPDATED.pdf

2. For the latest "Strike Tool Kit"  which will have a link to the Statement from Senate go to: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11764

3.  The clock stopped for calculating penalties for late essays on 5 November; it will begin again once we return to class after the strike.

4. The deadlines for applications to the Faculty of Education, as announced here several times, reamain as advertised.  All deadlines for applications to Faculties at York remain as advertised.  Consideration may be given to late arrivals of letters of recommendation from faculty who were unwilling to write such letters during the strike -no one that I know has declared that he or she would refuse letters because of the strike. But no consideration will be given to applications that miss deadlines.

5. OSAP

   - The January distribution of cheques/documents will be in the Bennett Centre for Student Services
- All students must first make an appointment to come and pick up their cheque/documents.  

In order to collect their second instalment, students are required to:

1.  Go online to the Document Tracker to see if their documents are here: http://www.yorku.ca/osfs/osap_trackingdocs.shtml
2.  Make an appointment to come pick up their cheque/documents
3.  From the Tracker, confirm the exact location within the Bennett Centre they need to visit

Thursday 18 December

1.  Statement from president Shoukri: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11761

2.   Latest version of the "Strike Tool Kit":  http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11756

3.  York's message to Graduate Students and Contract Faculty: http://webapps.yorku.ca/NegotiationsUpdates/doc/Communication.pdf

4.  Strike update from York - 17 December: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/special/faqs_for_web.pdf

5. Mediation will continue through December provided that the Mediator believes that there is something to negotiate.  As of today that is not the case.  We all hope that the moment will soon come when the Mediator will be able to think and recommend otherwise.

6.  There have been no postings from CUPE in the past few days. I'll post any as soon as they arrive.

Tuesday 16 December

1. Again, there will be no refunding of tuition unless the term is cancelled.  Classes have been suspended not cancelled. Students who had made other firm plans for Winter term may be able to make a case but will have to seek advice from Student Services in the Bennett Centre.  For addresses click here►
Student Services & Document Management, Registrar's Office.

2.  The dates of Winter and Summer terms will be reestablished by Senate after the end of the strike.

3. Those in joint programmes with Sheridan College are probably still bound to Sheridan's dates.  I don't know whether Sheridan will make any accommodation for York Students once classes resume.  Check with Sheridan.

4. As announced several times in these posting -please check "Updates from Winters" above- no additional payments for students in residence will be charged for the extension  of the dates of Winter term.

5. Today's "Strike Kit"  may be found at: http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11727

6.  I would guess that fees due for Winter term will not be due until just before the term begins, whenever that may be. 

Monday 15 December

1.  Today is the deadline that York set after which classes in December could not resume.  Merry Christmas and happy continuing holiday!  Let's hope that classes will restart early in January.  For the latest version of York's "Strike Kit"  go to:  http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?Article=11715 and follow the various links on that page for relevant (and irrelevant) information.

2.  Send your comments concerning Brian Bowen's survey directly to Brian at btbowen@gmail.com.

3. Thanks to one and all who have taken the time to send questions and comments in reply to these postings.  Your notes  make the daily routine very worthwhile.  I wish I could wave a magic wand to make this go away.  In the meanwhile  we can rely on each other to produce a few smiles and come through this in the best shape possible.  And, as usual,  keep doing what you can to finish your readings and those preparations that you can complete outside class so that, once the strike is done, you will rise to the top totally prepared for all your classes. 

Sunday 14 December

1.  For information about access to the Winters Residence please contact Ashley Grenville

E-mail Address: winters.rlc@yorku.ca
Coordinator, Residence Life

Winters Residence,

Telephone: (416)736-2100 x 77464 (Voicemail)

2.  Information about when essay and assignments are due will be available directly after the end of the strike.  There will be no remediation but continuation.  The term and year will continue from the last class before the strike.  Details about examination etc. will be published when your class first meets after the strike. Speculating what those details may be is probably for now a waste of time!

3.  CUPE has messages for 13 and 14 December:cipe-13-14-dec.htm

4.  Ben Bowen wants to survey your mental health during the strike.  If you're interested have a look at: ben-bowen.htm.  I don't believe  that I know Ben but his intentions appear straight forward.

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!

Information from CUPE

Information from York

Updates from Winters