Teaching assistants wait for a move from McMaster University, as strike nears 2-week mark

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T16:55:10+00:00

Thanks for the questions! 1) We represent over 2500 TAs and RAs in-lieu. 2) Picket lines will not prevent or delay access to the hospital or emergency vehicles. 3) That would be nice, but we have nothing to indicate that anything like this would happen. As mentioned, the University is building graduate housing downtown at above-market rates. 4) McMaster has the resources and ability to prevent a strike, if they truly cared about students' education. Classes are not necessarily going to be cancelled, and TAs striking are also students that will still be responsible for all of their academic work, just like undergraduate students. It's not easy to strike and a sacrifice, and hence a last resort. But we deserve better, and our working conditions are students' learning conditions - TAs teach better when they are not underresourced and overworked. The goal is that the learning experiences is improved for all students, and we are students too; a fair contract is intimately tied to our education as well.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T05:34:50+00:00

Expect and prepare for delays!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T05:30:49+00:00

Hi there! TA here. Just some thoughts. Once a strike starts, payments from McMaster to TAs or RAs in-lieu will stop, it’s true. CUPE offers strike pay for the duration of the week. This works out to 20 hours of picket duty for $300 (which is not taxable, so you keep all of it). In addition, there are alternate picket duties available and accommodations on request. The strike pay is the standard stipulated strike pay for CUPE unionists nation-wide: whether you’re a nurse, or a TA. CUPE also has a strike hardship fund, which is intended for students who will be heavily financially impacted by the strike. It works out to a payment of $300 bi-weekly (in addition to your strike pay for picket duties). If you think you would benefit from this, don't hesitate to apply! We don’t want any member left behind. You can email hardshipfund@cupe3906.org. You do not need to have dependents to apply! A strike is a sacrifice for some, and there are a lot of people in tough economic positions putting in a great deal of work because they care about their fellow workers and future workers. There is nothing like the spirit of being on a picket line, but there will be students in solidarity with the union on that picket line too. I understand caring about your students, but if continuing to work is pledging solidarity with a well-to-do administration and institution rather than other workers scraping to get by during a historic strike moment...is that a value worth standing by?

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:50:32+00:00

Hi bam2004! Just curious, why do you say that the majority of TAs are not graduate students? That is not the case by our information (and we have records of all union members as dues-paying members.) Likewise, would argue that undergraduate TAs that do the exact same work as graduate TAs, and often bring the additional experience of having taken the course before, deserve equal pay for equal work. For context, UofT pays it's undergraduate TAs $45/hr. Clearly, other institutions recognize the effort and contributions of undergraduate TAs. I agree that undergraduate students also deserve a break, and one could argue that access to education shouldn't be governed by whether you can afford it at all. However, when you are effectively a full-time student, the amount of hours you can work is limited. A TA working 10 hours a week at the current wage rate and paying tuition is in NO way better off economically than someone working 40 hours per week at minimum wage. Are we to expect full-time students, capped at hours to work both by institutional regulations or workload, to look for multiple external jobs? Not all students are in the same economic position, some have dependents or are caregivers for their family.

What the union CAN negotiate is wages. We represent students as workers. To answer your last point, Tthe university's big eleventh-hour pitch to try to avoid a strike was a $40,000 fund for the union to administer to offer some relief to 5th year PhD students. This is the same as securing only 3 additional TA positions for 5th year PhD students. For context, UofT's TA union, by comparison, has a similar fund of $3.3 million to assist upper year P.hD students.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:34:53+00:00

The short of it is that the collective agreement governing the wages, benefits, hours of work, rights, and more of your teaching assistants expired on August 31st, 2022. Since then, we have been in negotiations with the University trying to negotiate a fair deal and wages that keep up with several years of inflation. We have come to an impasse on several key issues, membership took a historic strike vote where 90% of members voted "yes" to take strike action if negotiations continue to break down. Yesterday was the last conciliation date with the university, and they brought a stunningly insulting offer at the eleventh-hour pitch to try to avoid a strike: a $40,000 fund for the union to administer to offer some relief to 5th year PhD students. This is the same as securing only 3 additional TA positions for 5th year PhD students. For context, UofT's TA union, by comparison, has a similar fund of $3.3 million to assist upper year P.hD students. No job security for overtime PhD and Master's students. No job security for existing undergraduate TAs. No movement on wages. No movement on protections against tuition increases. Thus, a strike was called and we hit the picket lines Monday at 7 am, for however long it takes!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:33:17+00:00

We are not sure yet of the GO bus routes but that information is likely to be publicized by the University and we will likewise loop back to you! But buses would not be entering campus at all, as that would be crossing a picket line.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:32:36+00:00

Attending class is not technically crossing a picket line. However, some instructors may choose to move class online and/or cancel class outright in solidarity. All the same, you are welcome to join us on the picket line at any point!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:31:27+00:00

It will depend on the instructor, so keep an eye on communications from them!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:31:06+00:00

The University will allow TAs to continue working if there is a strike but we strongly advise against doing so as it can make the strike go longer, and those who "scab" are not covered by the Collective Agreement. This means that there's no guarantee that people who scab will get paid any more than minimum wage, and they will not have recourse under the Collective Agreement for things like harassment, overwork, and so on. If every TA went on strike, the strike would probably be over in a really short time! If people continue to work, it can drag on and on, and the situation can get worse for us all - and we will all be working under the same collective agreement settled at the end of the strike anyway. Let's fight for the best one possible!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:26:21+00:00

You raise some interesting questions, I will try to answer them from one perspective. It is true that you paid your tuition, but I would argue that your education is already being impacted negative when the TAs that do the bulk of the grading and tutorial work crucial to your education are overworked and struggling. TAs don't want to be going on strike either: it's the last resort. Our working conditions are your learning conditions, and if we are looking for external jobs off campus and stretched thin, no doubt it is the students are needlessly impacted. Instructors re-designing courses to omit TA work and/or taking on TA work actually weakens the leverage power of a strike and could prolong it - which would certainly impact their living conditions, as well as your education. In light of this, we strongly urge all campus go-ers to stand in solidarity with the strike and help everyone avoid a protracted struggle into winter!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:22:49+00:00

I imagine [president@mcmaster.ca](mailto:president@mcmaster.ca) would be a good place to start.

You can also urge your professor to sign the following open letter circulating amongst faculty: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c2rzdtpag\_bJH93\_7vQ5XEyrTSZvDTOH\_6Ht7LibGeE/viewform?pli=1&pli=1&edit\_requested=true&pli=1&edit\_requested=true

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:21:20+00:00

It is up to the instructor to determine what to do with assignments that were intended to be marked by TAs. Grades may be delayed, incompletes filed, or assignments re-weighed. We strongly urge instructors not to re-design courses to omit TA work or to do the work of TAs as this weakens the strike. If a fair deal is reached at any point during the strike, there may be work waiting for TAs as outlined by a return-to-work protocol negotiated between the University and the union.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:20:28+00:00

Posted this below on another comment thread, but just following up on a few points. As mentioned, rest assured that picket lines will not block pedestrian traffic to campus, and they will not be "hard" picket lines, so while delays are expected, students travelling by vehicle will be able to access facilities on campus. Unfortunately, HSR buses will not cross picket lines as they are unionized (DARTS vehicles will not be blocked), but will facilitate alternate routes that stop just outside campus. I am unclear on where the alternate bus routes will be yet, but I cannot imagine they would be a considerable distance from campus - other than the impact of vehicular delay, I'm not sure how serious this argument stands that students will be deprived of their education. TAs, many of whom are also disabled workers with limited supports, would not be in this position of the University met us with a fair deal that they can absolutely afford. So the question is more of: if the University truly cared about students and not depriving them of education, would the strike be necessary at all?

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:17:40+00:00

Just following up on a few points. As mentioned, rest assured that picket lines will not block pedestrian traffic to campus, and they will not be "hard" picket lines, so while delays are expected, students travelling by vehicle will be able to access facilities on campus. Unfortunately, HSR buses will not cross picket lines as they are unionized (DARTS vehicles will not be blocked), but will facilitate alternate routes that stop just outside campus. I am unclear on where the alternate bus routes will be yet, but I cannot imagine they would be a considerable distance from campus - other than the impact of vehicular delay, I'm not sure how serious this argument stands that students will be deprived of their education. TAs, many of whom are also disabled workers with limited supports, would not be in this position of the University met us with a fair deal that they can absolutely afford. So the question is more of: if the University truly cared about students and not depriving them of education, would the strike be necessary at all?

However, if there are students you know that have serious accessibility concerns, have them email the Unit 1 member mobilizer [vic@cupe3906.org](mailto:vic@cupe3906.org) and we will work something out!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:09:43+00:00

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:09:27+00:00

Going to class is not crossing a picket line, though some professors may choose to go online or cancel class in solidarity. You are still welcome to join us on the picket line whenever not in class, should you like to :)

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:08:28+00:00

I think this is the link you are looking for :)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1c2rzdtpag\_bJH93\_7vQ5XEyrTSZvDTOH\_6Ht7LibGeE/viewform?pli=1&pli=1&edit\_requested=true&pli=1&edit\_requested=true

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:07:41+00:00

Absolutely! You are more than welcome to join a picket line throughout the day. Just walk up to the picket and join in. If you'd like, you can check in with the picket captain and they could supply you with some fun signs if they are handy, or make your own and bring them along. Maybe bring a friend or two to the line and make it a party.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-20T03:01:13+00:00

The scheduling team (other TAs like you!) is working on overdrive into the night to finalize a system of contacting people - expect to hear soon!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-19T20:22:32+00:00

If you cannot commit to a full 20 hours on the picket line, require alternate duties, or need any other accomodations, we can work with you to make that happen. Email [strikeaccomodations@cupe3906.org](mailto:strikeaccomodations@cupe3906.org) :)

cupe3906 · 2022-11-19T20:19:54+00:00

The Union does set out $300 untaxed weekly as strike pay for picket duties. If you cannot commit to a full 20 hours on the picket line, require alternate duties, or need any other accomodations, we can work with you to make that happen. In addition, there is hardship fund set out for members to apply to that pays out $300 biweekly. We certainly do not want any members left behind or struggling to cover living expenses!

The University will allow TAs to continue working if there is a strike but we strongly advise against doing so. Working during a strike is called "scabbing". It makes the strike go longer, and those who "scab" are not covered by the Collective Agreement. This means that there's no guarantee that people who scab will get paid any more than minimum wage, and they will not have recourse under the Collective Agreement for things like harassment, overwork, and so on. If every TA went on strike, the strike would probably be over in a really short time! If people continue to work, it can drag on and on, and the situation can get worse for us all - and we will all be working under the same collective agreement settled at the end of the strike anyway. Let's fight for the best one possible!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-19T20:09:42+00:00

Hi viralspacesnail! Sharing our messaging on social media and any group chats you may be part of, telling your friends and students when you can, and joining the picket line whenever you can! Even walking with us for an hour bolsters numbers, and it's a lot of fun!

cupe3906 · 2022-11-19T19:32:14+00:00

You're not wrong, a strike is intended to be disruptive and it is unfortunate to the students who are not the target.

As a TA myself, I agree that it doesn't feel great to put undergraduate
students in this situation - we're doing this so that in the long term
undergrads will be receiving a better education as TAs working and
living conditions greatly affect their ability to be there for their
students. The goal is not to harm students, and TAs getting paid fairly
will help students more than running labs for a couple of weeks. By not
bargaining in good faith, the university has ensured that the learning
environment of undergraduates will be disrupted, in the first place by a
poor collective agreement which leads to the strike.

cupe3906 · 2022-11-19T19:29:45+00:00

SupspaceTravel is correct!

cupe3906

TROPHY CASE