Originally Posted by DavidR

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.

If tuition goes up wages should as well.

I don't know where I heard this (was it macinsiders? I doubt it) but scholarships and OSAP are the reason tuition goes up. More funding for students means the universities can raise tuition.
The TAs who are grad students do NOT get nearly as much financial aid as undergrads do.


And ramirez.a, Mac is a business, even though it is publicly funded. It still provides education and is a center for learning and research.

EDIT: And as grad students, they already have student loans from undergrad, their TAships are NOT full time jobs, so getting paid more than min. wage is normal.
There are jobs you can find which pay 2-4x min. wage but only let you work a few hours a week.

Originally Posted by FireDragoonX

If tuition goes up wages should as well.
EDIT: And as grad students, they already have student loans from undergrad, their TAships are NOT full time jobs, so getting paid more than min. wage is normal.
There are jobs you can find which pay 2-4x min. wage but only let you work a few hours a week.

That last bit confuses me. I don't think it's "normal" for part time jobs to get more than minimum wage by any means. Quite the opposite, I believe.

Originally Posted by ramirez.a

* If we vote “no” on this ratification vote, we have every reason to believe that McMaster will move quickly to end this labour dispute.

Really? Because from what I've seen most TAs have decided to cross the picket line, and almost every class is running the same as before. In fact, I'll bet you that McMaster can hold out a heck of a lot longer than CUPE.

I almost want the strike to continue just so we can see who is right.

There are so many students who work on campus (that aren't TAs) and their wages don't go up when tuition goes up.

I used this example in another thread, and I'm going to use it again:

Say you work at a car insurance company, and you use that company for your car insurance. If their prices increase, your wages won't.

Or what about adults who work on campus and pay for their kid's schooling? Should their wages go up when tuition goes up? No.

So why should CUPE members be the exception?

Let's Occupy the ****ing school. make like may 68'

Originally Posted by A.Marlowe

Really? Because from what I've seen most TAs have decided to cross the picket line, and almost every class is running without the same as before. In fact, I'll bet you that McMaster can hold out a heck of a lot longer than CUPE.

I almost want the strike to continue just so we can see who is right.

I agree. Very little, in terms of classes, has been changed since the strike. Having like 50 members of a 2,700 member union striking is so pointless. It's not going to do anything.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

There are so many students who work on campus (that aren't TAs) and their wages don't go up when tuition goes up.

...waits for someone to come say they need a union.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I used this example in another thread, and I'm going to use it again:

Say you work at a car insurance company, and you use that company for your car insurance. If their prices increase, your wages won't.

Or what about adults who work on campus and pay for their kid's schooling? Should their wages go up when tuition goes up? No.

So why should CUPE members be the exception?

Maybe you should stop using such a shitty example.

YES wages will increase if costs increase.
If the price level increases, so will wages.

Someone (you) should take a few more econ courses.

It is up to individuals (or individuals represented by unions) to negotiate pay increases.

Originally Posted by FireDragoonX

Maybe you should stop using such a shitty example.

YES wages will increase if costs increase.
If the price level increases, so will wages.

Someone (you) should take a few more econ courses.

It is up to individuals (or individuals represented by unions) to negotiate pay increases.

/thread

These posts are retarding any semblance of democratic progress. It's a load of bullshit rhetoric propaganda done by selfish bureaucrats and simple ideologists.

This strike would never have come about if the issues that needed to be made the forefront were actually presented as the highest priority. CUPE has positioned itself such that issues of money are the most important.

They could have won a much easier battle had they fought for everything in priority point 3. We students want smaller tutorial sizes, we want more attention, we want defined schedules of paper and test marking etc.

Instead, CUPE has gone and editorialized the issue of how they want payment for 260 hours a week --a demand that is not shared by half their members-- and neglected the issues that would positively impact the quality of our education.

Then there are the empty threats. I don't think that CUPE understands that this strike is so meaningless that the most attention it gets is on electronic mediums. Students don't even care enough to email the administration urging action because our lives are generally unaffected.

This is not a strike on par with York. The school is not closed down, and our educations still stand.

CUPE needs to understand that it's stupid tactics aren't helping anyone. They need to stop trying to leverage a democratic process with radical propagandist tactics and conspiracy theories.

All of this misinformation and confusion just serves to piss off any marginally sympathetic student.

Can you guys seriously stop using all the underlining, bold, and CAPS?!

I can't take any of it seriously. You should be able to get your point across without formatting. It's called a legitimate argument.

Does anyone know if there has been any sort of "work to rule" behavior? Like if there are too many students to mark, having all the TAs be super late with their marking?

If class size is an issue, and marking is a problem, and the employer expects more... why haven't the TAs done anything to demonstrate that there is too much work? Like not completing their tasks? I know employers always want to push for more productivity, but there is a point where a single employee cant produce more without changing some other variable.

Anything? or was it just strike?

the TAs rather not have smaller classes and more money. Does that answer your question?

they are all a bunch of protestants or something idk

I don't think a lot of TA's would try that. I know I wouldn't if I was a TA. One of the purposes of being a TA (especially at the undergrad level) is to get a nice reference. If you piss off your prof you are kissing your chances of getting a reference letter out of them good bye.

Originally Posted by Rossclot

Does anyone know if there has been any sort of "work to rule" behavior?

CUPE 3906 did a 'work to rule' posting: http://unit1bargaining.wordp ress.c...0%9D-campaign/

When I read that, I immediately told my students I was going to voluntarily run a midterm prep tutorial for them, well beyond the requirements for my TA hours.

I look forward to voting 'yes' on the university's offer tomorrow morning.