.. Seriously

http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/669219

I wish there was a dislike.

The week-long strike that has shut down tutorials and labs at McMaster University could end tonight.

They make it sound like all the labs and tutorials have been shut down rather than a minority of them, lol. Of course, when they also put "best offer" in sarcastic quotations it doesn't really make it hard to tell what side they're on.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised if this does get voted down though. It really does come down to if people are willing to come out. And I'm sure a lot of the people crossing the picket line to work don't really care about what the union does at this point- they'll continue working either way.

Damn global warming! Where's the blizzards when you need them

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

They make it sound like all the labs and tutorials have been shut down rather than a minority of them, lol. Of course, when they also put "best offer" in sarcastic quotations it doesn't really make it hard to tell what side they're on.

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't be surprised if this does get voted down though. It really does come down to if people are willing to come out. And I'm sure a lot of the people crossing the picket line to work don't really care about what the union does at this point- they'll continue working either way.

I agree. Think of all the TAs who are still working during the strike. Why would they waste their time going to the office and voting? They're still going to work the same amount of hours for the same pay, whether or not there is a strike. I'm guessing the only people voting are those who WANT the strike. Looks like CUPE thinks that too.

I've been having issues with The Spec over the strike. I read all the articles they release about CUPE and they all seem very biased. Maybe they are getting their information wrong, but The Spec is making it out to be much worse than it actually is.

For example, they keep saying "2,700 union members are on strike". I emailed the author and said that's kind of misleading, since only like 50 people are actually on strike and the other 2,650 are working. They replied and said "Since the union is on strike, all 2,700 union members are on strike as well".
I guess that's "technically" right ... but I think it gives the reader the wrong idea.

I think a letter to the editor explaining what the situation REALLY is like is in order.

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Shouldn't that read CUPE WANTS a no vote on offer?

Do they really expect one given the weak turn out at pickets?

I'm not saying the vote won't come back no, but it seems somewhat unreasonable to expect the vote to be no when your picket turnouts are pathetic. They demanded that their membership vote no but that doesn't mean they will.

Personally I feel like apathy might secure CUPE their no vote. I've heard that some TAs aren't even going to vote, I mean what? Even if you're still teaching your tutorials and this whole thing isn't really bothering you don't you want to put an end to this crap?

One could argue that since it isn't bothering them, they have no reason to take any steps to address the issues.

Originally Posted by sew12

Personally I feel like apathy might secure CUPE their no vote. I've heard that some TAs aren't even going to vote, I mean what? Even if you're still teaching your tutorials and this whole thing isn't really bothering you don't you want to put an end to this crap?

I agree... i was surprised that the turnout for the original strike vote was so low.. even if the ta's themselves don't care, i think they owe it to everyone who is inconvenienced by this strike do get out there and vote, regardless of how they plan to vote.

Originally Posted by brendanp

I agree... i was surprised that the turnout for the original strike vote was so low.. even if the ta's themselves don't care, i think they owe it to everyone who is inconvenienced by this strike do get out there and vote, regardless of how they plan to vote.

Well it doesn't help that CUPE is so sketchy and poor at advertising votes.

When they held the vote on whether or not to hold a ratification vote they only announced the meeting a mere 24 hours prior and didn't say they'd be holding a vote. Only like 300 people showed up, unsurprisingly most of them were people who voted not to have a ratification vote.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I've been having issues with The Spec over the strike. I read all the articles they release about CUPE and they all seem very biased. Maybe they are getting their information wrong, but The Spec is making it out to be much worse than it actually is.

I don't find it surprising that the Spec's articles are slanted towards the union. Hamilton is still a very blue-collared manufacturing/steel-working/union-loving city, and the local paper is going to write stories that reflect that point of view.

I also don't find it surprising that CUPE "expects" a no vote... what are they supposed to say?

"We expect that our membership will vote against everything we (as a bargaining team) have been fighting for, since we are completely out of the loop as to what our membership wants."

It's not like CUPE can say they expect a 'yes' vote:

"What can we say: ... we're dumb."

In the case of a lot of TAs it might not be apathy, but just lack of time. I have 3 midterms this week, and quite a few assignments due between them as well. If I was a TA I would probably not have time to go down and vote.

And yet I still find time to post on here... I should probably get back to work, lol.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I agree. Think of all the TAs who are still working during the strike. Why would they waste their time going to the office and voting? They're still going to work the same amount of hours for the same pay, whether or not there is a strike. I'm guessing the only people voting are those who WANT the strike. Looks like CUPE thinks that too.
.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with respect to the issues with the vote turnout. Though, I was at the union meeting last night, and there are people that are wanting to put an end to the strike coming out to vote too. As you said it's the ones that are/chose to be unaffected by the strike that wouldn't care either way...

Originally Posted by Kathy2

For example, they keep saying "2,700 union members are on strike". I emailed the author and said that's kind of misleading, since only like 50 people are actually on strike and the other 2,650 are working. They replied and said "Since the union is on strike, all 2,700 union members are on strike as well".
I guess that's "technically" right ... but I think it gives the reader the wrong idea.

I think this is a claim based on technicality on their part: the union and the employees represented by the union is, as a whole, on strike, that means all 2700 employees. Even if many of the TA/RAs are continuing to work, they are choosing to work, while on strike...if that made any sense.

Also, if you wish to contact the media and supply numbers to them, please make sure you have solid data rather than speculative numbers. If they choose to publish your data they can end up publishing false information as a result.

All I can say is that 50 some TAs shouldn't be allowed to hold the entire campus hostage.

Much as I hate to side with the administration, this thing needs to get resolved before exams.

If you are a TA that is not supporting the strike, PLEASE vote against it so we can put this nasty business behind us.