Strike!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I see the full-time students at Ontario's 24 colleges are out of class now (and I'm likely out of a job... sigh). I hope this is over soon (in favour of the FT faculty).

I have to say in principle that this strike is necessary. I heard a few days back that Algonquin, e.g., has increased their student enrollment by over 50% while bringing the number of instructors down by over 20%. That's just greedy and stupid.

So here's hoping....

[mattm]

I hope it's over soon. I'm an algonquin student but I can't afford it. I'm on COOP now so it's not bad but it would kill me to lose that tuition. Sometimes I'm so poor I can't even eat every day so things like strikes really piss me off, especially when most of my teachers are saying that they'd really rather not have a strike. I don't think it will go long enough to ruin the semester but if it does there's a good chance a lot of students won't come back and that REALLY sucks as we need as many educated folks as possible in the country. And all you university people don't snicker when I say educated. Some people can't afford university or don't have the time for it. I can't count the amount of times I end up in a group of university folks to find that they start talking down to me when I mention I'm in college, grrrrrr.

That's my two cents. I'm not a teacher so I can't see that point of view. I hope the teachers win though as I love it when people stick it to the man.

I have noticed what seems like way more students walking the halls than there used to be. It's not a bad thing because 95% of them seem to be female now (I guess the guys just aren't making it past high school). Actually, I think someone might have mentioned an article on here about that (male/female education and youths). I haven't noticed any less teachers but that might just be my department.

[Birdy]

glory, glory, solidarity!

my mom hit the picket line bright and early this morning. i feel bad for her as she really, really did not want to strike.

at least the weather is supposed to warm up for her and her brothers and sisters, around these parts anyway.

i too hope you still have a job when it's all said and done DEM. strikes are messy biz.

[Ms.Huxtable]

I can't count the amount of times I end up in a group of university folks to find that they start talking down to me when I mention I'm in college, grrrrrr.

mattm I hear you. This has happened to me so many times, even though I'm relatively successful I am made to feel like a failure. I was at a university campus bar and this guy seemed interested in me. We talked and flirted for a while (years ago Bouche) and when he asked me what program I was in and I answered the I went to college, he took off! The nerve. I guess he wasn't as smart as he thought he was because he missed a great lay.

Anyway I'm really sorry for the full-time students who are missing out on their classes. I'm glad it doesn't affect my part-time studies at Algonquin. I'm having so much fun in school!

[jonyak]

ugh this royaly suck..

I just wanted to finish up my last 2 months then go to co-op and get a job..

I hope this doesn;t negatively affect you dave. hell maybe you'll get a full time job after?

[mattm]

Hey Dr. Evil Mouse, where do you work?

[boiler]

mattm and birdy, weren't you the two telling cowboy to cross the picket line? what side of the fence are you on here, or does it depend on the thread you're in?

[bradm]

For a little background this CBC story might help.

Aloha,

Brad

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Hey Dr. Evil Mouse, where do you work?

It is Algonquin. I'm a part-timer, which means they've just effectively given me my two-weeks' notice, after which, if the strike isn't done, I'm out in the cold (hopefully it'll at least be warmer outside ). On the upside, if I were what they call partial-load, I wouldn't even get that much courtesy (i.e., they stop being paid immediately).

Yup, I've got my fingers crossed, Jon. At the least, this opens up some space for some full-time job-searching. And if I do get back, at least I'll have front-loaded the following few weeks of lectures.

[boiler]

a

Edited March 7, 2006 by Guest
wrong thread

[mattm]

mattm and birdy, weren't you the two telling cowboy to cross the picket line? what side of the fence are you on here, or does it depend on the thread you're in?

Yup, if you need money you need money. I detest unions but I like teachers and hate what's going on with the education system in the province. I hate the amount of money that students could potentially lose because teachers might want more. I hate that some students might even drop out because of something like this. If it's happening, it's happening though so I'd rather the teachers won. Maybe that way they'll care more about the students.

In the other thread, cowboy isn't even really part of the union that is striking.

My teachers have said they'd really rather not strike but the union officials want to so they have to. I look at that and say, hmmmmmm, what's going on here. Same thing at the place I work right now (City of Ottawa). The union officials wanted a strike but 90% of the employees I talked to really didn't want to miss work and lose pay and were just fine with how things were.

Edit to add:

School is out for more than 150,000 Ontario college students on Tuesday morning after talks broke off between college officials and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

if the semester ends without some decision being made then that's 150 000 x $1500 (or so) then there has been a loss of $225 000 000 in tuition from the students. That's alot of money to take from the brokest part of society. Add to that the rent, bus passes, etc and we're talking lots and lots of dough here. I know the education system needs reformation but I don't think a strike is the way to go.

Also, on a completely unrelated topic, Dr Evil Mouse (I love the evil mouse idea), if you play guitar and you're there in the summer, I bring one almost everyday to sit outside between classes and am looking for folks to join me...

Edited March 7, 2006 by Guest

[YearsAlongTheSea]

Plain and simple. He's not in this union. And, for a part-time teacher, he's already put in more effort and money than he's being compensated for, so, in my eyes, they kind of owe him anyway.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I posted this in another thread, but got into it with my class yesterday when we were talking about the ethics behind this action. I think he makes a good point (if a little hamfistedly).

P.E.I. professor fired for no-show marking

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Also, on a completely unrelated topic, Dr Evil Mouse (I love the evil mouse idea), if you play guitar and you're there in the summer, I bring one almost everyday to sit outside between classes and am looking for folks to join me...

I might just turn to busking next, so count me in .

[Birdy]

i don't really see any wavering in our thoughts, mattm. i'm not advocating anything differently in this thread than i did in the other. the only thing i did in this thread was give best wishes to DEM that he had a job when it was over. my bad.

[boiler]

strikes are messy biz.

That I can totally agree with you on. I grew up in Cape Breton and I become very passionate about union issues.

I remember when I was a kid, the coal miners were on strike and I would find another way around the DEVCO building (I used to take a short cut through there) because I would not cross their line.

In the old days, in C.B., where much of North American unionism began, strikes were a bloody and sometimes deadly affair.

Anytime a union goes on strike, we should be reminded of those days and hope we never go back to them. Remember, management WILL push workers around IF given opportunity. This is a fact of Capitalism. Unions still have a valid role in society.

[AD]

Remember, management WILL push workers around IF given opportunity.

And union management will push members around too...

Unions still have a valid role in society.

agreed, when they have the best interests of the majority of members in mind.

AD

[boiler]

And union management will push members around too...

AD

lol, won't argue with you on that. :blush:

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

the only thing i did in this thread was give best wishes to DEM that he had a job when it was over.

And I thank you .

I do see the need for unions, given that the tendency in capitalism is towards slavery. Of course unions do often end up as top-heavy, dictatorial bureaucratic structures in their own right, and I've found myself getting screwed by unions more often in the recent past than helped, but just in principle, as far as necessary checks and balances go, I can't oppose them out of hand.

But again, it is complex. If you get a chance, check out the movie (or book)

which is about coal miners in France in the late 1800s and their struggles for survival. Pretty sad, and again, pretty complex, especially when there some conciliation starts to come around in management. Certainly a strike can bring out the worst in some people (on both sides).

Another interesting read - Georges Sorel's The Myth of the General Strike. He was a founder of the anarcho-syndicalist movement (yes, there actually is such a thing, Python fans ), and saw - and wanted to promote - the psychological transformation that happened in a mob in the event of strikes. More here - Georges Sorel.

[timouse]

Hey Dr. Evil Mouse' date=' where do you work? [/quote']

It is Algonquin. I'm a part-timer, which means they've just effectively given me my two-weeks' notice, after which, if the strike isn't done, I'm out in the cold (hopefully it'll at least be warmer outside ). On the upside, if I were what they call partial-load, I wouldn't even get that much courtesy (i.e., they stop being paid immediately).

Yup, I've got my fingers crossed, Jon. At the least, this opens up some space for some full-time job-searching. And if I do get back, at least I'll have front-loaded the following few weeks of lectures.

i think dimafleck is the only one one here with a partial load.