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CUPE's Argument On Why TA/RAs Should Reject University Offer

 
Old 11-08-2009 at 07:12 PM   #1
ramirez.a
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CUPE's Argument On Why TA/RAs Should Reject University Offer
CUPE 3906 Ratification Vote 2009 WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE “NO”


This is NOT a “status quo” contract. If ratified:

1) YOU WILL LOSE MONEY

* Domestic graduate students will lose an average cumulative $736 over the two years of the contract (-$199 in year 1 and -$537 in year 2).



* International graduate students will lose an average cumulative $1835 over the two years of the contract (-$566 in year 1 and -$1259 in year 2).



* Undergraduate students will lose a cumulative $570 over the two years of the contract (-S175 in year 1 and -$395 in year 2).



2) YOUR BENEFITS WILL BE CUT

Benefits funds are in deficit because usage has outstripped the university’s contribution. A benefits freeze means a reduction in the level of benefits provided.

* The hardship fund will be cancelled altogether. If you experience financial hardship because of these rising costs we will not be able to provide you with any assistance.
* The childcare fund will be cancelled altogether.
* UHIP subsidies will be reduced to $75/member from $100/member.
* Vision care allowances will be reduced to $200 from $250 and only 500 people will be allowed to make claims.



Even if we make these cuts, the benefits fund will still be in deficit.

3) KEY ISSUES WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED

The priorities members identified in surveys and consultations last spring are NOT addressed. THIS CONTRACT

DOES NOT address class size & overwork.

* NO protection from tutorial size, lab size or marking load increases in this contract.
* NO standard norms for how long particular assignments and tasks should take to be performed
* NO mechanism to allow the union to address overwork at the level of policy at the university (leaving individual members to grieve the issue on their own).



DOES NOT improve access to positions for upper year graduate students

* NO extension of the guarantee for MA or PhD students
* NO repeal of “Class B” only posting language to allow upper year graduate students to compete for TAships that already exist
* NO



DOES NOT address accessibility and affordability of Education

* NO offset for the hundreds of dollars lost in take home pay because of tuition hikes
* NO disincentive against future massive tuition hikes
* It will erode our ability to protect members against financial hardship



McMaster Can Afford a Fair Contract

* A May 14, 2009 memo from Peter George states that McMaster University is in SURPLUS.
* A fair contract for TAs that addresses all of our key issues would only cost the university 0.17% of its $830 million budget.
* McMaster can only find $474,000 (year 1) in new money for its TA and RAs but it spares no expense when paying its top execs. McMaster’s presidents and Vice Presidents make a combined $4.3 million per year in salaries alone.
* At $500,000 per year Peter George is the second highest paid University President in Canada and makes more than the Prime Minister. Upon retirement he will be paid $1.4 million in addition to $300,000 yearly pension. Other senior execs receive similar payouts.



Our Demands Are Reasonable

o Everything the union is asking for is already in other collective agreements negotiated between TAs and Ontario Universities



The University Does Not Want a Prolonged Strike

* Long strikes are damaging to a University’s public profile and its bottom line. McMaster can’t afford a long strike.
* York University’s 2008-2009 strike resulted in a 15% drop in the number of high school students who ranked it as their first choice when applying in January1 and a 7% drop in their undergraduate enrolment in a year when enrolment increased at Ontario Universities.
* If we vote “no” on this ratification vote, we have every reason to believe that McMaster will move quickly to end this labour dispute.


... Yours to interpret
Old 11-08-2009 at 07:17 PM   #2
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Say it with me now: "pro pa gan da"

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Old 11-08-2009 at 07:24 PM   #3
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Label it whatever you like, nonetheless it is CUPE's official statement as to why it's membership should not accept the university's contract- with statistical evidence - and is in fact very clear to analyze.
Old 11-08-2009 at 07:42 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ramirez.a View Post
with statistical evidence
Consider your audience and consider the source.

We all know how easy it is to lie with numbers... as far as this is concerned, "statistical evidence" is an oxymoron.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 07:55 PM   #5
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when will we know if there is still a strike going on? or should i just wait for my phone to ring and hear complaints of noise outside of keyes?
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Old 11-08-2009 at 08:06 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phoenix View Post
when will we know if there is still a strike going on? or should i just wait for my phone to ring and hear complaints of noise outside of keyes?
The voting goes on until tomorrow afternoon, so the strike will be on until at least tomorrow.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 08:15 PM   #7
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It is a very misleading statement/argument from you (the union).

First of all you threaten your members with money loss. You make it sound as though the university will reduce the wages your members receive currently. It will not. The university will simply increase tuition which is and has been a fact of student life. There is no money lost so stop fear mongering.

Second, show me any other part-time, student job which offers the kinds of benefits your members enjoy. The university has been very generous with your benefits.

Third, as has been mentioned, PhD's usually take 4 years to complete. During this time your members don't have to apply to become TAs, they are given TAships. After that period they have to apply and let administrators know they would like to be TAs. This is an incentive for grad students to finish their PhD's in 4 years.

As Taunton said, statistics can be manipulated to show just about everything you want them to. Upper administration's salaries and benefits have nothing to do with this, but I guess you gotta throw anything that vilifies the employer out there.

Whenever you have brought up actual financial data, you have demonstrated an utter lack of knowledge in business operations and budgeting. Just because the money exists, it doesn't mean it hasn't been allocated to something else. Much of the money that comes in to McMaster is alloted to special projects and comes in on the condition that it be used for those projects. The donors make these rules.

In short, the "argument" is nothing more than union propaganda filled with the usual elements: vilification of the employer, meaningless "statistical" information and, in this case, a misunderstanding of the environment your members work in.

Last edited by DannyV : 11-08-2009 at 08:17 PM. Reason: Grammar

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Old 11-08-2009 at 08:41 PM   #8
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[quote=DannyV;106871]It is a very misleading statement/argument from you (the union).

Upper administration's salaries and benefits have nothing to do with this, but I guess you gotta throw anything that vilifies the employer out there.

... $4.7 million in salaries and benefits between 2 dozen executives a year ... $474,000 for over 2700 front-line in one year... while they just made $14.65 million this past year alone from tuition and government funds directed towards graduate students...

Its funny, because the actions and lobbying of policies by McMaster executives demonstrate they view McMaster students as simply basic income unit and a 4 year statistic... yet no one can realize that.

... and on a side note, I am not part of the union - I defend them because they are fighting for my interests: sustaining the quality of education I am increasingly paying for - not deteriorating it.
Old 11-08-2009 at 08:42 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyV View Post
Say it with me now: "pro pa gan da"
say it with me now: "ig nor ance"

propaganda is information that is used to influence others. there is nothing wrong with propaganda.

@DannyV, about money loss. So you think it's fine for the university to raise tuition while keeping TA wages the same?
The TAs have to strike in order to get paid.

I mentioned this in another thread, but Mac's goals is to cut costs (regardless if they have the money or not). The school is fine with increasing tuition while keeping wages the same. It is up to the TAs as a union to change this.



Regarding the comparison to Peter George's wages, I agree it's dumb.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 08:43 PM   #10
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Why will the TAs lose money? Im kinda lost on that point.
Old 11-08-2009 at 08:43 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ramirez.a View Post
Its funny, because the actions and lobbying of policies by McMaster executives demonstrate they view McMaster students as simply basic income unit and a 4 year statistic... yet no one can realize that.
>implying we're not "customers" paying for education.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 08:52 PM   #12
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[quote=FireDragoonX;10 6873]say it with me now: "ig nor ance"


I mentioned this in another thread, but Mac's goals is to cut costs (regardless if they have the money or not). The school is fine with increasing tuition while keeping wages the same. It is up to the TAs as a union to change this.


... you've said it best - their goals are to cut costs... what does that sound like???... how a business functions.

... but did we all seem to forget, McMaster University is a publically funded institution... NOT a corporation. Being publically funded... the over arching priority towards a publically funded institution should always be in the public interest - not in the interest of a few executives who run this institution with profit and personal benefits as its main priority.
Old 11-08-2009 at 08:59 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FireDragoonX View Post
@DannyV, about money loss. So you think it's fine for the university to raise tuition while keeping TA wages the same?
News Flash: Tuition hikes also affect tens of thousands of other students who do not have the opportunity of being a TA and yet they manage to make ends meet and find sources of funding (including measly $10/hour jobs - peanuts) to go to school. Not to mention the tens of thousands of other students who are not able to find that funding and don't have the opportunity to go to post secondary school. Robbed of an education because of tuition hikes and you guys feel victimized. Hah.

You may have had a point if tuition was only going up for TAs, but it's not. Sorry.

CUPE's goons have said numerous times that being a TA and a student are separate yet they keep bringing it back to this "tuition goes up, so should our wages" business. Make up your mind.

So to answer your question - I do think it's fine to keep TA wages the same as tuition increases. You're already making 2-4x minimum wage; count your blessings.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 09:02 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ramirez.a View Post
... but did we all seem to forget, McMaster University is a publically funded institution... NOT a corporation. Being publically funded... the over arching priority towards a publically funded institution should always be in the public interest - not in the interest of a few executives who run this institution with profit and personal benefits as its main priority.
Nor should in run in the best interest of a couple thousand CUPE members who think their financial ability to go to school is more important than that of their peers. If the real issue you want to protest is rising tuition, bring it to Queens Park.
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Old 11-08-2009 at 09:06 PM   #15
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I'm embarrased for the people who read the CUPE blog and believe it word-for-word.



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