TA STRIKE at UofT

[Ric Knowles]

Dear All,

I'm writing simply to endorse and agree with Shemina's email--and I find
myself on Faculty (at least in name) at the University that's doing this.
I'm still appalled by UofT's decision to restructure its "delivery"
system in order to shut out its GTAs. The demand for payment equal to
tuition seems eminently reasonable to me. (It also, incidentally, strikes
me as astonishingly stupid for a University that needs to recruit graduate
students to treat them this way. None of us is necessarily better, at
least in structural terms, and if we all silently accede to what UofT is
doing, our own universities will soon be doing the same--if they haven't
already.)

And incidentally, this message is Margaret Atwood at her best.

Ric

On Fri, 28 Jan 2000, Shemina Keshvani wrote:

> I'm hoping that by now you have all heard about the TA strike at the UofT.
> Since many of you attended UofT at some point I am sure that
> you will be interested to read the letter to Prichard from Margret ATwood.
> If you have not yet considered supporting the TAs by writing of phoning
> Prichard, Sedra or Finlayson, perhaps you will do so now. The TAs really
> need your support. As you know the administration is threatening to fire
> us all by Feb. 4th. They also refuse to negotiate in good faith. TAships
> are very important to DC students especially. Over the years we have lost
> more and more funding. We have all tried very hard to find other ways to
> fund our eductions and some of us have been lucky to win TAships. The
> number of these students has increased considerably over the last 4 years,
> thanks to cinema studies and the english department. We do not want to
> lose what we have and really, we deserve to be treated better by the
> admin.
>
> Here's to hoping you all send letters to support the cause.
>
> Cheers
> -sk
>
> here are some email addresses:
> president at utoronto.ca
> michael.finlayson at utoronto.ca
> adel.sedra at utoronto.ca
> --------------------------------------
>
>
> >
> > Subject: Letter from Margaret Atwood
> > Copies of this letter have been sent to press, faculty and student
> bodies.
> >
> > 27 January 2000
> >
> > Dear Dr. Rob Pritchard:
> >
> > I am writing to you on a painful subject: the University of Torontos
> > treatment of its Teaching Assistants. As information has accumulated on
> my
> > doorstep over the past few days, I have become more and more concerned.
> >
> > I attended the U. of T. in the late 50s. I got a dandy education there.
> I
> > have since allowed my voice and image to be used, extolling its virtues.
> I
> > have coughed up repeatedly, with money, time, and my physical presence,
> for
> > various sectors in it. Until now I have always been pleased to do these
> > things.
> >
> > But as I see it, the treatment of the Teaching Assistants is
> unconscionable.
> > These young people, who are supposedly   among other things  the value
> of
> > education in a democracy, are being starved and bullied. Their tuition
> is
> > roughly a thousand dollars more than they can earn through their
> teaching
> > jobs, and they can hardly get lots of other jobs because they need to
> study.
> > I have been a graduate student. Its not easy, and its a lot harder when
> > you dont have money. The cost of living has gone up, the wages have gone
> > down in relation to it, and who is profiting?
> >
> > Now the university is refusing to negotiate with these bright, ambitious
> > young people -- the future leaders of our society -- and is threatening
> to
> > fire them unless they cave in before February 1. Not only that, it is
> > loading the work done by them onto faculty members who are working
> flat-out
> > as it is. Many fear this is just a prelude to some new form of thuggish,
> > exploitative wage-slavery.
> >
> > This is a terrible advertisement for the University of Toronto. Its
> > terrible public relations. If I feel this way, so will a lot of other
> alumni
> > and alumnae when the hat gets passed to us again, as it so inevitably
> does.
> > Its a terrible advertisement to high-quality professors the U. of T.
> might
> > wish to attract. And it is a terrible advertisement also to any who are
> > considering attending the University of Toronto as graduate students.
> Surely
> > we want to attract the best and the brightest, not just the richest! But
> if
> > youre smart but poor, and need to teach to get through, the U. of T. is
> > certainly not going to be your choice at present.
> >
> > I have a suggestion. Disregard those on your Board who may have
> advocated
> > grinding these intelligent young people underfoot like plague rats
> because
> > they belong to a union  after all, the university has negotiated with
> > unions in the past  and go back to the bargaining table. If you cant
> offer
> > cash down, offer tuition cuts, as York and McMaster have done. Recognize
> the
> > fact that the human body requires nourishment. Reach a fair settlement.
> >
> > Then, if you are really that strapped for cash, go to your faithful
> alumni
> > and alumnae. Do a special Teaching Assistant Drive. A lot of us would
> much
> > rather see our contributions going towards quality education, fairness
> and
> > equity, and the provision of a moral and just model of civic behaviour,
> than
> > towards some chunk of rock with our name on it. Such a funding appeal
> letter
> > would be one I and many more like me would be happy to sign.
> >
> > Until then, I remain,
> >
> > Yours in shock, horror and dismay,
> >
> > Margaret Atwood.
>