November 10, 2008
York U. Students Take to Facebook to Protest a Campus Strike
Thousands of teaching assistants, contract faculty members, and graduate assistants at York University, in Toronto, have gone on strike, bringing classes and other campus activities to a halt. Now students — some of whom worry that the school year will eventually be extended into the summer term — are taking to Facebook to complain.
The York University Anti-Strike group, which now boasts just over 800 members, is circulating a position statement urging that the labor dispute be resolved through binding arbitration. And the group’s message board — where people who support the strike have sparred with group members — has actually hosted some interesting debate. For every sophomoric comment (“hey everyone! im a striker… and im LAMEEEEEEE!!!”), there’s one focusing on how the strike is affecting local businesses, say, or on international students concerned about visa restrictions and travel plans. —Brock Read
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First, im a 3rd year student, doing both an Honours major in International Development Studies and honors minor in Biology.
Now, people keep talkng about the wage increase and how TAs shouldnt ask for it due to a number of reasons… but quite frankly, from what ive read thus far those students who feel that way dont know enough about what theyre saying. And on top of that, wage increase IS NOT, repeat: IS NOT, the only issue the Union has been pushing for. They also want job security and benefits, something the media and York dont focus on NEARLY enough. People who work in such important jobs that affect the future of countless students should NOT have to reapply for their jobs every 4 or 8 months, that’s just rediculous.
For those students that have the audacity to say “if TAs dont like the pay then they shouldnt be TAs”, i have two things to say: grow up, that’s a childish comment; and we all NEED TAs, profs cant do the job on their own, so someone has to do it, and they deserve higher recognition and benefit for what they do.
There are some poor TAs, and i agree that the evaluation criteria should for TAs should be much stricter,.. but there are countless others that make incredible, longlasting positive impacts on their students and we should thank them and support them fighting for their rights.
and one more thing.. York is holding students hostage just as much as some people say the Union is. Binding arbitration is not negotiation. York should go back to the table and negotiate with the Union on ALL the issues they have, not just wages.
— Michelle Nov 10, 11:18 PM #
I’ve been a TA, and I am now an assistant professor, and I have two major issues with the opinions expressed by Michelle above. To begin with, professors do NOT need TAs, the university at which I teach (not English by the way) has every full time faculty teach his/her own classes 100% of the time. Addtionally, the grammar and capitalization issues in the above posting are terrible. If this is the best writing quality that York students can achieve, I fear for the future of educational quality. I make no comment on the issue of the strike, as I don’t know enough about it to make any type of judgement. However, Michelle ruins the value of her discussion with her poor writing.
— OD Nov 11, 08:13 AM #
OD, you might want to re-think your comma use before insulting Michelle’s writing.
— M Nov 11, 09:55 AM #
Having been a graduate TA at University of Toronto (years ago) and having been through a couple of TA strikes, I sympathize with the York U students — both the graduate TAs and the undergraduates who are not being taught during the strike. Both groups have legitimate concerns.
As a graduate student, I was also frustrated by a strike during my last year of data collection, because my research participants wouldn’t cross a picket line, so my research was being held up, and time was running out (I was heading off to a post-doc after finishing). It was frustrating indeed.
OD: The way a particular university structures itself can mean that professors indeed need TAs to meet their obligations outside of teaching, and York fits that model. Your assumption that one size fits all kind of weakens your critique of Michelle’s note.
There are groups of people in the instructional areas of higher ed that are often put in the situation the TAs (and others) are in currently, and it needs more attention.
On balance, I’m with the striking students here, and shame on the University for not settling. In a labor dispute, both sides are equally culpable for the problems faced those served (in this case, the students who can’t finish their classes).
My best wishes for all at York U.
— Ray Nov 11, 02:18 PM #
I am science and enginering sttudent and I am quite upset to see about 600 hundred students in a classroom with a single teacher. It is hard to learn like that. If you don’t came five minutes early you are force to stay at the back where you can hear or see anything. Why administration is so cheap an don’t pey more teachers and break the groups in smaller size? Answer: TO SAVE MONEY TO MAKE PROFIT. They rather build a research tower than class rooms
— norma Nov 12, 10:37 AM #