From the Picket Line

Dear GFWS classmates and comrades,

As a fellow grad student, TA, and rank-and-file union member, I am reaching out with an update about what things have been like on the picket lines. Participating in the CUPE 3903 strike has been both a challenging and incredible experience. After years of zoom meetings and online classes, it has been a pleasure to connect with so many of you on the lines at Chimneystack. Our conversations have been enlightening and have helped to build solidarity and support among our ranks. 

Though many of us are new to the union, I am grateful to be joined by comrades willing to share knowledge and advice. I want to share with you the enriching experience of being a part of a democratically run organization. The decisions we make are led by the collective, meaning that we have weekly meetings to discuss our strike and bargaining strategies. This also means that we are only as strong as our collective. Without rank-and-file members' engagement and education efforts, CUPE 3903 cannot win this fight.

As you are no doubt aware, we are living through a cost of living crisis that is driving so many workers and students like us to go on strike across Canada. Though we are not unique in our struggle to survive, any wins we make have the capacity to send shockwaves throughout the sector. That being said, I want to encourage everyone who has not yet joined the fight (whether you are a current or former TA, contract faculty or GA) to come out and help us win.

Without an increase in our salaries, funding, and improvements to job security, a graduate degree will simply not be sustainable for most of us, including future grad students. This will lead to further reductions to our departments and programs. We need more people to join us on the picket lines to create a greater disruption to the university in order to force them back to the bargaining table and give us the contract we deserve. 

We have been picketing Monday-Friday at the intersection of Chimneystack Road and Keele Street. There are two picket shifts each day: the first is from 7:30am-11:30 am, and the second is from 11:30am-3:30pm. All you need to do is show up. There are a variety of duties depending on how comfortable you are engaging with people; we have folks talking to drivers, moving gates, and marching. These duties help build political education and support amongst the public about the strike. They are also an opportunity to learn what we are fighting for and how we are trying to make an impact. 

Whether you are a member of CUPE 3903 or not, I want to encourage you to come out to tomorrow's rally at the university's main entrance on Keele Street and York Boulevard. Thus far we have also been joined by a number of colleagues from YUFA, CUPE Ontario, and other unions at our rallies and on the picket lines. These spaces are a great way to connect with our peers and learn about the various ways to get involved. Though we need more bodies on the picket lines, members are also working to strengthen our online presence and social network. Reaching out to your undergraduate students to make sure they know their rights during the strike and are educated about what is going on also has the potential to make a huge impact. 

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can help as a rank-and-file member. I am more than happy to share resources and connect you with other members. In addition to email, you can also DM me on instagram @sof.chaudhry or reach out for my phone number. I also encourage you to sign up for the 3903 newsletter, join our Chimneystack Whatsapp group, and check out the discord server. 

In solidarity,

Sof, PhD student