> Dear progressives, > > Included in this email is some information on a labour dispute at the > University of Toronto. The part-time bookstore workers, who recently > unionized, are fighting for a fair first contract. The University of Toronto > Press, which is owned wholly by U of T, has responded by firing and > harrassing union activists and forcing these mostly female workers out on > strike. It is now abundantly clear that are out to bust this union. I am > going to be blunt - we need your support! Please sign this petition and > forward it to all your colleagues. If your are in a union, association, or > community group please get your group to support us. Lastly, please pass > this on to as many people as possible. > > In solidarity > > Paul Lykotrafitis > Canadian Union of Public Employees local 3261 > picket captain > > > > > > Dear colleague, > > This is a petition sent out to all post-secondary teaching staff > outside of the UofT community. Part-time workers, mainly university > students, are on their fourth week of a first contract strike. They > are fighting for decent wages and job security. They currently > occupy the doubly privileged position of being the lowest paid workers on > the UofT campus as well as the lowest paid post-secondary bookstore > workers in all of Canada. Negotiations have broken off for the third time > since they began. Please add your support to the petition below and > pass it along to your colleagues. (Send your reply to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and address it to me.) > > Thank you. > > In solidarity & struggle, > > Mehdi Kouhestaninehad, > President, CUPE Local 3261 > > Dear Dr. Birgeneau & Mr. G. Meadows, > > As post-secondary faculty and teaching staff, we are appalled and > horrified at the treatment with which the UT Press is meting out to > its part-time workers. The University of Toronto is well known > internationally for its excellence in the scholarly field. Its > Press reflects and in fact, contributes significantly to this > prestige.It is disturbing, therefore, to learn that this sterling reputation > is being gained off the backs of those who benefit the University so much. > The fact that these workers are also largely university students adds to the > shame of this situation. We are aware that the costs of post-secondary > education have risen phenomenally over the past decade. > > That the University of Toronto, through its ancillary operation, > the UT Press, is forcing its students to live below the poverty line > while annually requiring them to pay more in tuition is shocking. The > University of Toronto makes much of its alumni—and with good cause. > However, every alumnus was once an undergraduate student paying > his/her way through education. We hope that the University of > Toronto does not make a policy of only respecting its students when they are > able to make financial contributions to the university coffers. > > Until the University of Toronto, and the UT Press, begins to > treat their student workers with the respect and dignity suited to > an institution devoted to higher education, we must regretfully > refrain from any business with the UT Press and its operations. In > addition, we feel obligated to warn our colleagues and friends about > the conduct of the University of Toronto and its Press. We hope to be > able once again to resume a professional and collegial relationship with the > University of Toronto and the UT Press but are unable to until we > are certain that we can do so in good faith. > > Yours Sincerely, > > [add your Name, Faculty, Institution, Phone/Fax and/or Email > Address]
