Subject: Re: email protest info in support of U of T grad strike
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 19:40:34 PST





>From: kelley <oudies-AT-flash.net>
>Reply-To: method-and-theory-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
>To: method-and-theory-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
>Subject: email protest info in support of U of T grad strike
>Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 15:29:37 -0500
>
>
>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
>
>
>
Dear Kelly,

I'm interested to hear your story. I am an editor/writer of an undergraduate 
newspaper in British Columbia.  Right now i am attending the Canadian 
University Press National Convention in Winnipeg. I was wondering if I could 
interview you and write a story to run on the national news wire?

If this is cool, please get back to me

Christopher Bolster
editor-in-chief
the Cascade
University College of the Fraser Valley

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