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U OF T TEACHING ASSISTANTS STILL ON PICKET LINE
By Hassan Husseini
(This article is from the Feb. 1-14/2000 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.)
TORONTO, Jan. 21 - Teaching Assistants (TAs) at the University of Toronto have now been on strike and locked-out for two weeks. The main issue in the strike remains the tuition waivers demanded by the union. Due to the rise in tuition fees over the past decade, TAs pay $1000 more in tuition than they receive in wages.
Given this reality and the fact that their peers at York University get not only the waivers, but also better wages and benefits, TAs at the U of T say they have every right to demand a fair and livable wage from Canada's wealthiest university.
The campus administration has so far refused to go back to the negotiating table to discuss the issue of tuition. Instead, the employer is using scabs and cancelling classes, and has threatened to restructure classes after Feb. 4 if TAs are not back at work. These actions are widely seen as a clear attempt to break the union, by effectively firing the workers.
In an interview with People's Voice, Stephen Pender, Liaison Officer with CUPE Local 3902, indicated that the Feb. 4 ultimatum "means that we [the union] are not only fighting for a better contract, right now we are fighting for our jobs and our union, and we will not stand for this clear attempt at union busting by the Administration."
The union has called for an escalation of strike actions, including a longer delay of traffic at certain locations on campus, mass rallies and picket lines, a call for a halt to the use of university facilities, and the targeting of scabs. Pender indicated that "support from other unions, the Labour Council and CUPE National is tremendous. They see it as a microcosm of the struggles within the education sector."
While the university's service workers (CUPE 3261) seem to have reached a settlement, others have not. CUPE Local 3907, representing 200 Research Assistants at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (part of U of T) are already in a legal strike position. Indications are that they may be locked-out before they go on strike.
With the official support of the U of T Faculty Association, the Graduate Students Union, an increasing number of undergraduates, and people from the community, members of Local 3907 will continue to fight a university administration bent on denying them a fair settlement and breaking their union.
On Feb. 2, the Canadian Federation of Students will rally across the country for a one day strike and actions against the attacks on public post-secondary education, rising tuition and student debts. In Toronto, thousands will show their support with the striking TAs by marching through the U of T campus.
Once gain, we encourage all PV readers in the Toronto area to take part in the many solidarity rallies and pickets organized at the U of T, including the CFS Feb. 2 actions.
For details on the CUPE 3902 strike, call 593-7057. For information on the CFS Feb. 2 actions, contact your local CFS office or student union, or the Communist Party of Canada at 416-469-2446.
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