Don't recall specifically, but Main Street was in grid lock from the 403 offramp to Cootes, so I imagine so. No clue about the Sterling entrance, didn't venture over there in those days.

It affected HSR busses for sure...the busses would no longer run through Sterling, and instead dropped everyone off in front of the Hospital.

As for the GO, I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by sew12

Do you know if the picketing affected buses, GO buses or HSR buses?

During the strike information session I believe they said that all HSR and GO busses would *not* be entering campus, and they were unsure at the time (Wednesday) where they'd be stopping instead.

Originally Posted by sew12

Do you know if the picketing affected buses, GO buses or HSR buses?

Buses will not be entering the campus. New stops will be announced. The whole "solidarity with their comrades in arms" thing.

Originally Posted by DannyV

Your personal circumstances aside, Mowicz, my point still stands.

No one forced any of you to become grad students, you chose to. You must have thought about why you want to be a grad student and how you are going to pay for it. Many grad students see their post-secondary studies as an investment in their futures do they not? Would there not be some planning with any investment? Why do some people go out and work for a year or two before returning to continue their studies?

You know as well as I do, that the excuse "I just don't have enough money right now" is an unacceptable reason for someone not to get an education...it happens in many parts of the world (sometimes even here), but we're lucky enough to have resources at our disposal that allow us to work out financial matters...this is the reason why OSAP exists in the first place. Whatever the circumstances, it's unacceptable. A completely unrelated issue, but having more educated people, sooner, is beneficial for the student, the community, the economy, etc.

So why is it ok for a grad student to wait a few years, when it's unacceptable for undergrads? I think we both know that's unacceptable, and telling grad students not to get an education simply because they have financial difficulty is not an acceptable solution and you're really grasping at straws here.


(Not to mention, in my current situation for instance...if I 'took a few years off' my financial situation would not improve. It's my education that will eventually open those life-changing doors)

So what do we do for undergrads? We give them bursaries...and with good reason.

What do we do for grad students? We give them TA-ships...for the same reason.

Dear CUPE 3906 members and the McMaster Community,

As you know from our consistent blog updates and from the McMaster Daily News, the CUPE 3906 bargaining team received a “best offer” package from the employer at 4:14 am, Saturday morning. Inexplicably, the “best offer” is actually several backward steps removed from the offer that they presented less than 10 hours shy of the strike deadline. On monetary issues, the most significant retreat was resetting benefits funding to 2006 collective agreement levels. This was countered by a paltry 5 cent per hour increase to the wage rate. In short, they made no effort to address the core issues of workload, benefits and access to positions for fifth-year doctoral students.

Since the strike deadline has passed and with the employer walking away from the table without acknowledging any of the issues our members clearly have identified as priorities, the bargaining team has had no choice but to ask the mediator to inform the employer that TAs are ready to withdraw their labour until a fair settlement is reached. Job action will begin at 8:00 am on Monday, 2 November 2009 and at that time, CUPE 3906 Unit #1 will be on strike.

The bargaining team has prepared a position document which reflects the current status of its proposals. To be sure, this document represents, in substance and in detail, the framework for the ultimate collective agreement. We invite members to study the document and compare it to the skeletal script the employer advertises. In order to give all members the fullest sense of the situation we anticipate an information meeting will be held on Sunday, 1 November 2009. The time and the location of the meeting will be announced on our website, on our blog and via email as soon as the space is finalized.

Sincerely,

The elected CUPE 3906 Bargaining

Such a shame CUPE

When is it first required for CUPE to let TAs vote on a proposal from McMaster? Or is it required at all?

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca /image...20Strike. pdf

There is info there about accessing campus during the strike. I just don't understand, It takes me an hour to get to school, now it might take 2. I can only imagine the traffic on Main st:(

From what I remember, if the busses are diverted the same way, the traffic wasn't too bad...it was just irritating to have to walk from the Hospital to say, Ivor Wynne Centre.


By the way, here's the form for anyone who's crossing the line (you have to fill this out on a weekly basis):

Here's the information page: http://www.workingatmcmaster .ca/li...ocess-1-42.pdf

And here's the form you need to fill out: http://www.workingatmcmaster .ca/li...FORM--1-42.pdf


NOTE: The form requires three signatures: Yours, your supervisor's, and your academic unit head (usually the department head).

That's bs about the buses.

I pay for a monthly pass for an express GO Bus that goes straight from my GO station onto the McMaster campus. I don't pay $226 a month to have my service disrupted.

Unfortunately I can't boycott the service for the duration of the strike because its my only way to get to school since I commute.

This sucks.

Originally Posted by jo87

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca /image...20Strike. pdf

There is info there about accessing campus during the strike. I just don't understand, It takes me an hour to get to school, now it might take 2. I can only imagine the traffic on Main st:(

I also commute but I park off-campus. Should I still expect my hour commute to be two hours long? Is there any way to avoid the “grid lock from the 403 offramp to Cootes”?

Originally Posted by DavidR

Tip for commuters - if you sneak around the back way on Cootes (from Dundas), the picketers didn't show up there back then. That, or get an SUV and start hopping curbs.

I just noticed this! What do you mean by sneak around the back way on Cootes?

Just got off the phone with GO Transit.
Drops will be at Bowman and Main.
Pick ups will be at Emerson and Main.

Thankfully Bowman & Main as well as Emerson/Main aren't far from campus.