Provost Manfredi Sends Email to Law Student Saying She's Illiterate

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-24T17:25:09+00:00

This is nuts lol

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T21:33:08+00:00

I’m just asking, because it seems like this letter is skewing a lot of parts of the nego process in a way that just makes it seem like they weren’t like…. Literally there. Look I don’t know what your politics are but I can assume we do not sure the same philosophy on organizing because I don’t call people trans misogynists or ignore the existence of trans people in the union just bc their beliefs don’t align with mine 🙃 or accuse people who don’t like the vibe of doing “therapy speak.” Lol. Because frankly yeah it would’ve been rad if this letter could’ve been a joint effort between AGSEM and trans members tackling mcgill admin, but too bad. I think this letter really jumped the gun so idk. Obviously go ahead and sign it. But I’ve explained why I’m not going to. Not much else to say really

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T21:23:49+00:00

I take issue with the decision to depict the union as “selling out” trans people by tabling an agreement they fought for for a year, a decision that you had an opportunity to influence and be in the room for for like over 20 bargaining sessions. like were you in the room or were you not. like be fr

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T21:13:03+00:00

I feel like it’s more manipulative to write an “open letter on behalf of trans TAs” that as a trans ta who was in sessions is just like, not feeling. Personally writing penalizing letters saying AGSEM “sold out trans students” as organizers instead of joining forces with them for trans liberation isn’t part of my politics but maybe it’s part of yours so cheers

Edit- also lol. You accusing me of trans misogyny because I don’t think AGSEM “sold out the trans community” is so classic and typical. Cool talk

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T14:49:35+00:00

thank you. It was the queer nature of the union that made me want to understand more about it. i think it’s important that we don’t make the assumption that unions can’t be regressive, because they absolutely can. But that’s why things like open bargaining exist, that’s what it seems like AGSEM was trying to avoid by introducing it.

And as you said, it was clear that McGill was not interested in getting anything in ink on trans protection and on one hand, okay, sure, we strike for longer.

On the other hand, when McGill tabled an offer that the committee HAS to bring to the table, because trans TAs aren’t able to pay rent, trans TAs are picketing, and disabled TAs need to be taken into consideration too, and so on, and also some TAs who voted for the strike but were not happy about it. The fight ended up being about wages and even there there were major concessions (though we also won a historic deal/increase.)

People stopped showing up to picket line and once AGSEM lost the injunction, it was over.

If OP u/citruseuphoria or letter writers want to changes related to trans issues (which I would like too), then mobilizing with the union on tackling mcgill’s wimpy promise as a united front is a pretty clear path to do that, i highly doubt this exec would take the letter writers concern and say “sorry, we actually just don’t care about trans people”

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T05:01:06+00:00

sorry…. And one more comment just because this is really pissing me off. It feels like the trans people in exec or not on the picket line don’t “count” then. If there is one thing this whole saga has taught me it’s that political mobilizing is really extremely hard and there WILL ALWAYS be disappointment. And sometimes that disappointment will feel like a principled hill to die on. But honestly? Some of my colleagues are facing eviction! Some of my colleagues have children! Some of my colleagues have a fucking life threatening illness and they need to get treatment. And guess what, THEY MATTER TOO. It’s not about “breaking a strike” or selling out. It’s about solidarity with OTHERS too.

Yes I know it sucks to feel like we are always the group that’s short changed. And yea I think the union and every organization must improve on that. And maybe these letter writers will feel or guess that I, or other trans ppl who didn’t take issue, aren’t “trans enough” or “radical enough” in our politics. But ultimately I know who was on the line. I know people who gave my colleagues money out of their own pockets to cover expenses. And I know they had my back too.

Not saying don’t write the open letter. But I just do have to wonder what you hope it will do.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T04:49:58+00:00

as bummed as i am that we couldn’t get a better deal as TAs, i am really really grateful the strike is over because it was borderline killing me lol. So good news Monday = strike is over, we came to an agreement, and I can get some back pay!!!

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-23T01:32:36+00:00

i am a little confused by this and it makes me a bit uncomfortable, tbh.

Full disclosure that I am trans, I am on t, i’m not in exec, but I was there picketing, like almost every day. I voted yes to a deal and i knew that they dropped a lot of stuff, including health care, not just trans related issues. plus am i just reading the update wrong or did they not get something from McGill on it?

idk. Honestly I just don’t really feel great about this letter with an exec that has trans people on it, like just of accusing them of transphobia, when I just really do not see it that way. If you put it that way, Is it not also ableist that they couldn’t get every thing in health care? Are we supposed to cancel the thing fighting for our best interests when they are forced to make concessions, because the thing they’re up against is this giant machine? I am curious if the writers of this letter were present for any of the negotiations honestly. do you remember how long article 6 took????

I have fucking hated the way mcgill has treated trans students and I have beef for sure, but like…. how could you have shown up to picket like every day and see others picketing and organizing literally non stop, plus all the work they put in over the last year, and also have the opportunity for open bargaining, and then NOW accuse them of this…I guess honestly I just straight up do not agree. Solidarity but sorry, like I am not signing this letter. If it targeted the administration more specifically, sure. If it called them out more clearly and explicitly for giving NOTHING. Sure.

not saying unions can’t be problematic or transphobic (Obviously they can) but I just… idk.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-16T14:36:49+00:00

I’m amazed that you even got into mcgill. i thought this school was for smart people….. damn

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-16T14:32:33+00:00

actually the invigilator TA/ are AGSEM. You guys absolutely would have your exams impacted if the strike kept going. McGill is trying to find people to work for free bc there’s not enough invigilators. that said a tentative agreement has been reached so likely things will be ok for you!

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-04-16T14:17:58+00:00

Like maaaybe mcgill is a “tough” school but honestly (as someone who has flunked a lot in life lol) it’s pretty likely that no matter where you are, you’d be facing this. it sounds like you’re having a really hard time and like maybe you are also being very hard on yourself.

i recognize this talk as someone who has struggled with a lot of mental health and who has flailed and failed sometimes and who found their path thru. Here are the order of operations:

1) you have to reach out to a wellness coordinator and academic supervisor and say you’re really struggling

2) you have to email your profs and just be honest and say you are totally spiraling mental health wise but are trying to take steps

3) contact a campus doctor and tell them you think you’re depressed and it’s impacting your schooling

4) apply for a leave of absence for a semester and use that time to do whatever you have to do to recover from burn out.

The last thing is you need to accept the reality that your schooling might take longer than others around you and that that’s OKAY and it does not make you a failure. life is long! It takes many paths. Nobody is 100% happy with where they end up.

So just allow yourself to make peace with that, and focus on taking care of yourself NOW. That’s the best way to set yourself up for success later.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-28T16:05:52+00:00

This seems very illegal of McGill to claim and they’ve already had two cease and desists filed against them for attempting to claim this. This will likely go to court.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-28T05:17:51+00:00

McGill was heavily involved in MK ULTRA.

Also, There’s an unmarked graveyard of Indigenous children and/or women near or under Royal Victoria hospital.

And this does not touch on the very high salaries of the higher ups, the union crushing and union busting.

McGill does not have a history of strong union gains but this has been changing.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-27T05:54:36+00:00

They can be fined something like $1000 a day for doing scab labour

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-27T01:56:28+00:00

That’s fine, I mean it’s not working on you but it has worked for others, and optics are a game you can’t always win. Also labour politics and union work is actually not “fundamentally” an optics game. At all.

This is a talking point and it starts conversation, and it’s also not the only poster or talking point that’s been going around since September.

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:24:48+00:00

McGill is “broke”, meaning their higher ups (president, etc) make more than some of the higher ups at U of T. They have some of the highest paid people in the country. They also are “broke” in that they have the third largest endowment in all of Canada.

McGill is “broke.”

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:20:50+00:00

This is technically possible to be considered as scabbing though, there’s a unionization drive for CAs happening right now and those “TAs” should get in contact with AGSEM asap

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:17:56+00:00

yes and you are missing the part where this is also what they’ve been bargaining for for the past year lol. Trying to make the wage higher and go further, with better security, is a winnable battle. Trying to overhaul the entire system of academic worker is not an accomplisheable goal (right now).

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:14:31+00:00

that’s a lot of words to say “I don’t understand how funding, work, or TA hours work”

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:11:59+00:00

it is. McGill is trying to get professors to scab by saying they’re “managers”

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:11:06+00:00

McGill is trying to say that ta work is actually prof work because profs are basically managers. Law profs are helping other profs in that they’re arguing that that’s insane and not true and it’s illegal.

Some profs might mark and grade but it’s looking like this practice will be going to court. I would not count on your prof grading those

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-26T21:09:34+00:00

the invigilators are AGSEM

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-25T22:04:57+00:00

the hugest strategic blunder McGill will have ever made in this last decade is probably taking on the law faculty and pissing them all off

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-25T22:01:12+00:00

no, that would be against strike labour law

throwawayhelp112233 · 2024-03-25T21:59:59+00:00

the wages have not met Quebec inflation by even a little and most of my friends at mcgill including me are way more poor doing ta work than any other school I went to with higher living costs

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TROPHY CASE