Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 15:29:37 -0500
Subject: email protest info in support of U of T grad strike



m & t listers,

your esteemed list owner, ken mackendrick, is freezing his behind off in
toronto lately because he's involved in a strike.  what followers is
information about the strike for those who might be interested in helping
out in ways other than engaging in the email protest directed at U of T
president Prichard and HR VP, Finlayson who had the audacity to wear a
cowboy hat to a meeting with the grad students who'd shut down a building
where he proceeded to order them arrested.  fortunately, the union's legal
eagles got them out of that nightmare.  at any rate, please do what you can
and forward this info along to your departments, to you university grad
student orgs and unions, and any other lists that you think might have
subscribers who would be interested.

also, if you are a harvard alum or know harvard alum or even boston area
university alums it can't hurt to email them this information as well.  U
of T's president, Pritchard, is leaving his post to take one at Harvard.
It certainly can't hurt to make folks in the Boston area aware of this so
they, if they're inclined, might put pressure on Harvard.  these grads are
going to get fired monday unless they sign, so at this point i don't think
anything can really make matters worse!

further below you will find an update from Robin Griller on things you can
do to help support the strikers as well as an update on what's been happening.

if you send a mail to the prichard and finlayson then please also cc it to
CUPE, address below
thanks,

kelley 
p u l p  c u l t u r e
a list for the discussion of 
media, culture and politics
http://www.flash.net/~oudies/pulp_culture.htm

President Robert Pritchard
<president-AT-utoronto.ca>

Michael Finlayson, VP Administration, Human Resources
<michael.finlayson-AT-utoronto.ca>
Adel Sedra, Vp and Provost
<adel.sedra-AT-utoronto.ca>
416-978-2122

Bob Rae, Governor
<raeb-AT-tor.gpv.org>

Please send copies of e-mail to <info-AT-cupe3902.org>


You can
visit the TA's web site <www.cupe3902.org> for information and sample
letters.

----fwd----


Hi all,

As you may have heard we the teaching assistants at University of
Toronto have been on strike for over two weeks now. The central issue is
tuition waivers. Given that the average ta earns $4,100, it becomes very
difficult to pay the $5200 tuition. Unlike big american universities, U
of T teaching assistants must pay full tuition. The administration is
fighting a nasty fight. First they cancelled courses taught by graduate
students, then they tried to get the faculty to restructure their
courses to eliminate our work. When faculty resisted, they decided to
hire scabs and eliminate us. At the most recent negotiating session,
they kept our bargaining team there for 12 hours before they announced
their new offer, which was worse than the offer we rejected before the
strike. As part of this offer, they informed us that if we do not accept
the offer by February 1st, they will fire all of us.

The university of Toronto senior administration thinks that it is
perfectly acceptable for it to treat its staff like dog shit on their
shoes and we could use help in our dispute. There are a number of ways
that people can help:

(1) Phone the President, Robert Prichard, (416)978-2121 and Provost,
Adel Sedra, (416) 978-2122 to let them know that you are disgusted with
the university's behaviour. Let them know that if students get degrees
without their teaching assistants (we do 40% of the teaching at U of T)
they will not be getting a proper education (the University is
pressuring faculty to make their courses all multiple choice) and that,
as a result, U of T degrees will have to be looked at with scepticism
should the strike not be settled;

(2) Also let them know that you may have to consider advising students
who are considering attending U of T as graduate students that they may
well be better off accepting offers from other universities. It is quite
possible that this dispute will be an extended one and that incoming
students next fall could be walking into the dispute; this would not be
a good way to start a graduate program.

(3) Please ask your academic associations, graduate student
associations, faculty associations/unions, departments, etc. to
officially censure the University of Toronto for its behaviour. Follow
this up with official open letters to the university administration.

(4) If you are scheduled to speak at the University of Toronto this
term, please inform them that you will not speak on campus for the
duration of the strike.

(5) If you are a University of Toronto alumnus, please inform the
university that this dispute may lead you to have to reconsider future
donations to the university. This is very important; the administration
here cares about only one thing, other than their own paycheques, and
that is the size of their endowment fund. Hit them where it hurts.

I am not an official of the union (our local is the Canadian Union of
Public Employees local 3902), just a teaching assistant at university of
toronto who is sick of being treated like dirt. 

Thank you,

Robin Griller


kelley
p u l p  c u l t u r e
http://www.flash.net/~oudies/pulp_culture.htm