[Chad]

T.A's That Went On Strike Will Lose 10 Paid Hours

As expected, those who went on strike will lose money for the days they walked off the job. The latest e-mail from CUPE states that total will be 10 hours or 7.7% of the paid hours.

Quoted from e-mail from CUPE:

"Today your bargaining team regretfully signed the back to work protocol. In order to protect member’s rights as they return to work, we had no choice but to do so. Your bargaining team and executive are both shocked and deeply concerned by the contents of this protocol, which are unprecedented both at McMaster and in the sector. However, the employer was intractable in their position. We feel as though this protocol is punitive in nature and is a direct attack on the membership for showing your strength on the lines this week."

"...As of tomorrow (Wednesday, November 11), our unit will be back to work. You should report to work as usual."

"...The University Administration has decided that the period of the strike will be deemed as unpaid time. As such, any bargaining unit member who did not fill out a weekly verification of intent to work form will lose 7.7% of your paid hours for this term. For a 130 hour position, this represents a loss of 10 paid hours or approximately $350 after deductions."

The University Administration has decided that the period of the strike will be deemed as unpaid time.

Duh? Seems pretty standard to me.

Did CUPE expect members to be paid for not working?

Originally Posted by Katiekat

Did CUPE expect members to be paid for not working?

Apparently CUPE implied that when they were trying to convince TAs to vote "no" on the offer, and now they're trying to make it look like the university's fault.

T.A's That Went On Strike Lose 10 Paid Hours

TA's that didn't work lose a week's worth of pay.

Whatever happened to strike pay? Oh right it starts in week 2.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

Apparently CUPE implied that when they were trying to convince TAs to vote "no" on the offer, and now they're trying to make it look like the university's fault.

Ahh - makes sense from a very childish unit.

Don't raise my tuition
Give us more money for our benefits

AND pay us for not working!

I am very happy about this decision. To get paid for leaving your job is ludicrous and the tone in which the statement is written aims to make it seem like a punishment. The fact of the matter is, if you did not work, you do not get paid. That is how the world operates.

Frankly, if I don't show up for work, I don't get paid. The same should apply to TAs

from the FAQ on scabbing, unit1strike.wordpress .com:

What happens to my pay if I withdraw my services and support the strike

McMaster says:
“TAs who choose to participate in the strike will not be paid for each day of the strike. Pay will cease on the first day of the strike, for the duration of the strike. The amount of pay lost will be a function of the actual date that the strike commences, the duration of the strike, and the period during which the TA participated in the strike.”

...why is this news a surprise? or even news?

Originally Posted by stevennevets

from the FAQ on scabbing, unit1strike.wordpress .com:



...why is this news a surprise? or even news?

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure a few TAs posted on here saying that CUPE was telling them they would get most of their normal pay even if they went on strike.

afterwards on the blog cupe talks about strike pay (given from them) and then strike pay from cupe national. I don't see why the University would ever pay workers for not doing their job...

it sucks they dont get paid, but I thought the union was supposed to deal with the strike pay?

Edit: source:

If you are not working during the strike the employer can withhold your pay. [...]

CUPE 3906 and CUPE National have established strike funds to allow members supporting the strike to be paid at a monthly rate that is almost equivalent to TA/RA wages after taxes and other deductions. Strike pay is a maximum of $200/week and slightly more than $800/month for those who picket or do alternative duties for 20 hours per week. This $800/month is gross, take home pay. For most undergrad TAs, this is MORE than you are receiving at present.

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure a few TAs posted on here saying that CUPE was telling them they would get most of their normal pay even if they went on strike.

I recall some posts which talked about how York got 90% of their pay back after returning from strike, and some people were talking about how that policy applied to undergrad TAs and not grad TAs that worked at Mac.

I might be mistaken, but what they may have been hoped was that TAs who were on strike would be allowed to make the hours up, allowing us to fulfill our full contracts.

For example, regardless of missing last week, it is feasible that there would be 10 hours of work that could be done (including, but not limited to the hour(s) we will spend reviewing the literature and lecture materials from the week we were on strike - in my case anyway).

Originally Posted by Kathy2

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure a few TAs posted on here saying that CUPE was telling them they would get most of their normal pay even if they went on strike.

It was mentioned as a possibility.

Crap on a crutch, I should've... No wait, I did.


Just for the record, 10 hours is two weeks of pay...so essentially Mac is 'punishing' TAs who went on strike by counting 'Monday' as an entire week.

Originally Posted by JustineA

I might be mistaken, but what they may have been hoped was that TAs who were on strike would be allowed to make the hours up, allowing us to fulfill our full contracts.

makes sense. sucks that you can't, sorry, would be nice if they had let you.