Category: Toronto

CUPE 3902: Unit I strike vote

The union that represents me as a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto is holding a strike vote.

They are calling for more generous funding packages for TAs, increased health and childcare benefits, and a few other things. U of T is especially stingy when it comes to graduate funding packages. The standard package of $23,000 minus about $8,000 tuition (and assuming 210 hours of work as a TA) doesn’t cover the cost of living in Toronto, requiring most TAs to either borrow or do additional outside work.

I don’t know how I feel about the strike vote. I am pretty wary about unions in general (especially when it comes to public sector unions). That is because of how they often seem to defend particular interests as opposed to the general welfare, and often establish and perpetuate inequalities between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’. I also don’t know what the prospects are for a strike actually improving TA pay at U of T.

Voting goes on until November 18th, so I will need to do some more thinking and decide before then.

Fossil fuel divestment update

The University of Toronto has now officially created a committee to consider fossil fuel divestment.

One of my big tasks in the weeks ahead will be to update the brief with everything important that has happened since it was opened for attestations last September.

From the date when they first meet, the committee will have a year to produce a recommendation. President Gertler will then make his own recommendation to the Governing Council, which in turn will make the final decision.