Hello Blog world!
While I have never been much of a blogger I am definitely a talker so I don't think this should be too difficult.
I was hoping to write a blog to keep students informed as to what I have been doing to represent them in the UWSA presidential office; hopefully through all of the craziness I'll be able to keep this up!
I've titled today's post "Strike 1" because this is day one of the faculty strike on campus, if you don't know about it yet I recommend that you check out www.uwindsor.ca/strikeinfo, www.uwindsor.ca/wufa http://www.uwsa.ca/wufa-negotiations/ and www.pastthepages.ca. Or join the active facebook group: http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=41401863456&ref=nf (login required).
The last 24 hours have moved very quickly beginning at 8pm last night with a council meeting at which council reiterated our official support for WUFA. Stephen Pender, Clayton Smith and Anna Kirby attended the late night council meeting to answer questions from students about the strike. By the time council ended at 10:30pm it was nothing more then a waiting game to hear information about the strike. At 11:30 I contacted Wildeman to be sure that a mass email would be sent to students upon immediate notice of cancelled classes and he assured me that negotiations were continuing and that new information would be posted at 7am on the website.
Forgetting that Tuesday nights are open mic night I was pleasantly surprised as I went to the Pub to see and hear a couple friends on the microphone (Jasmine Ball and boyfriend Sam), I hung out with them for a short while before heading back to my office just in time to get the 2am phone call. I spent some time posting the news of the strike on relevant facebook groups, sending it out to anyone who I had an email for and then got some sleep.
This morning the media frenzy began much more quickly and aggressively then I expected. My phone didn't stop ringing with requests for interviews with CKLW, CBC Radio, CBC French Radio (the interview was conducted in English thank goodness),
After receiving the letter from Dr. Wildeman I spent some time verifying the validity of the statements with WUFA representatives and got the ball rolling on clear UWSA literature to be distributed Thursday and Friday.
By early evening I was sitting in a meeting with the UWSA exec brainstorming ways by which we each can personally show our active support to WUFA. We decided to serve pizza to WUFA on Thursday (Vegetarian for Pender) and construct witty signs to rally with everyone on Friday at 12pm.
I spent a little time stressing about whether the UWSA was doing enough to serve students and support the faculty in their plight. After a few conversations I came to the conclusion that while there is no way to please everyone - the action that is being taken by the UWSA elected officials and UWSA members this year is electrifying. UWSA students are mobilizing in support of WUFA in great numbers - Kudos to my grade school friend Emily Wunder for her essential role in this movement.
Like you all, I hope the strike is very brief. If you have comments or concerns that I can address please do not hesitate to comment below or email me at puwsa@uwindsor.ca
I assure you that my next blogs will be much shorter :P
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Strike 1
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12 comments:
want to show support? Stay out of your office, stop sitting on the fence and pick a clear side, none of this back and forth stuff you seem to be doing. Most importantly, go out there and pick up a sign and picket with them and the students.
The Student Associations should remain neutral, neither supporting the Unions or the Institution. You should have only one bias...the students you represent.
I think many would agree that part of representing our students is taking a stance on this crucial issue which directly affects the students who elected us. I don't think we would be a very effective student association if we just stood by and did nothing. After hearing from both sides of the issue, Student Council found it in the best interest of students to support WUFA's initiatives in securing a high quality of education at UWindsor (which is part of our mandate- if you've read it). That does not necessarily mean we endorsed a strike.
I have to agree with the last comment the UWSA is a student organization and should be purely concerned with the students it represents. The University Administration represents the priorities of the University while WUFA is concerned about its members. I don't believe that either is motivated purely to help students. So therefore UWSA's main concern should be a quick resolution to the strike or financial restitution for lack of service.
I can barely afford to order Pizza for myself because all of my money has gone towards tuition this semester. I don't think that it is acceptable to provide such a luxury to WUFA with our money, while we recieve no refund for lecturing/education being witheld this semester. Faculty are still being paid strike pay from there union while students recieve nothing for the money they have spent. This is what the UWSA should be focusing on.
If WUFA gets their way, the result is another increase in student's tuition. Economy is currently at an all time low, not to mention many of the students' parents are indeed unemployed now. Has anyone heard that the university has a deficit? WUFA claim that it's "not all about money", but it appears that their underlying reason is more or less for money.
To answer the directors comments you are endorsing a strike when you side with one of the parties in disagreement. Also neutrality is an action in itself and sends a clear message that a strike is not in the students best interest.
This is my last semester and my admission to law school is in question pending my grades. A work stoppage for me is definetly something I forsee as weakening the quality of my education.
Good on you Gooch - The fence is a hard place to sit but you know what? OUR stance as the UWSA has not and will not change what the faculty does or what the University does. They are on strike and they are the campus...no profs, no classes, end of story. The student stance is irrelevant in when classes are returned to us. So, we might as well maintain our relationship with BOTH the university and the professors by being at least a little bit on the fence since what is done is done. AND besides, its the UWSA council that chose to sit on the fence, not Tiffany Gooch or the UWSA executive.
And another thing that has absolutely nothing to do with the strike except that its a good chance to party because there is no school, I hope all of you that were bitching and complaining that there would be no pub back in April sure as hell are down there spending some cash now because its the only way it will survive. You wanted it open - now its open. Thanks 08 executive of the UWSA for giving the students exactly what they uproared about at the end of last year. Hopefully those students show you that they wanted a pub for more than just the concept...
I strongly disagree with the UWSA officially supporting the strike, while you may have a personal opinion about the issues put forward by both sides, as an organization you are supposed to represent the students, and the strike does nothing to help students it only hurts them. As for spending UWSA money to feed the striking teachers, are the students going to get an refund for the class/labs/placments they miss due to the strike? I highly doubt it, while the staff on strike continue to get paid...
Director,
A motion was put forward to clarify that we did not support a strike and it was voted down. I believe frankly that means you support the strike.
I was also at that meeting and neither side, and i mean neither side said very much. They both reiterated positions and used the phrase "in my opinion" a lot. Neither representative knew what was going on in the room. Neither side knew where the sticking points where, or how far apart they were.
With no information the UWSA voted to support a strike when they didn't know what the effect could be. A deal could be reached which raises tuition, shortens the semester and adds all kinds of new fee's and the UWSA has endorsed it because it has endorsed WUFA.
WUFA has to represent the best interests of its members which means if necessary they will screw students over first. The Admin has to represent its best interests first. Right now students interests are not being looked after by anyone.
It's very disappointing to see that the UWSA and the executive members are in support of a strike...you could say that you supported WUFA and what they are wanting but that indirectly supports a strike...the leaders of the student council should really have a firm stance that is neutral, they are there to have student's best interest in mind not to be on the good side of the faculty or the administration. I hope that Ms. Gooch has a solution to how to deal with the stance that the UWSA has chosen to side with, even if she doesn't agree with it, students' interests must be first, meaning getting back to classes...i believe that the student council was mislead by the executive and was told what they wanted to hear....
PS. instead of buying pizza for WUFA, what about pizza for the students...can you say fiscally irresponsible
with the UWSA officially supporting the strike, wow, that is exactly the wrong thing to do, personal opinion should never be used in making a decision that affects all the students...the elected members should reevaluate how they are representing the students that they are elected to do...hope you can navigate the ship through the storm, cause its not going to stop raining
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