CHANGE TO THE PICKET SHIFTS!!!
We had a very intensive discussion of the timing of the picket line shifts. As of Monday November 17th we will have a NEW picket shift structure.
The picket lines will go from 7:00am to 5:00pm, and there will be special times for double shifts.
**If you are doing a single shift (4 hours):
First shift: 7:00am -- 11am
Second shift: 10:00am -- 2:00pm
Third shift: 1:00pm -- 5:00pm
**If you are doing a double shift (8 hours):
Early double shift: 7:00am -- 3:00pm
Late double shift: 9:00pm -- 5:00pm
Rationale:
The above decision had 16 strikers in favour, 1 opposed and 10 abstentions. The arguments in favour were:
--Aggressive drivers have been overwhelming picket lines on the late shifts and endangering strikers to the point that it is becoming increasingly difficult to mobilize members to take late shifts.
--Having overlapping shifts will increase the interaction among strikers and build our cohesion and solidarity.
--While some classes are happening in the evening, strikers felt that we should use a flying (or "rhyzomatic," as it was called) picket to disrupt that part of York's business. As the new shift model will make the picket lines stronger, it may be easier to shift some strikers to the 3903 rhyzome/ flying picket.
--Our objective is to disrupt business on campus. But the overwhelming majority of travellers at certain gates in the late shifts after 5pm are not teachers nor office staff but community members who are passing through or who live on campus.
--If the employer arranges to resume classes or other activities during our strike, we can decide to escalate our picketing and return to the 7am-7pm model.
--There was some canvassing of opinion from the picket lines during the day, and a sense that the change to the picket shifts will be supported by a strong majority of strikers.
Important Info for Picketeers - point form stuff you want to know!!!
OUR PICKETING LOCATION: Chimneystack Road entrance. Please arrive a few minutes before your shift in order to let the other picketeers go home on time.
WHAT IS THIS VOTE EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT?: There is a General Membership Meeting at 4:30pm Nov. 5th in Room 109 Accolade West. Here, the bargaining committee will bring us up to date on negotiations and find out by a vote if the members want to strike or accept the offer. Your vote counts. Please come. You need your ID and proof of employment (a paystub) in order to be let in.
CAN I SIGN UP FOR ALTERNATIVE DUTIES?: Yes, IF you have a physical disability that prevents you from walking around with a picket sign. Otherwise, you must picket. You can check with the accessibility committee for further details.
DO I HAVE TO PICKET 5 SHIFTS (20 HRS) TO GET STRIKE PAY?: No. You will get paid for every 4 hour shift you do up to a maximum of 5 shifts a week. CUPE national says all able bodied people should be picketing 5 shifts a week. But if for some reason you can't... you wil still be paid for each FULL 4 hour shift you complete! Good news!
WHAT DO I DO AT THE PICKET LINE?: You show up a few minutes early and sign in with the strike captain (orange vest). You take a sandwich board or a sign and we all walk around in a circle on the road. Some people will need to talk to cars as they approach. Some people will need to help move our gate on and off the road. Some people will need to be recorders in case there are incidents on the line. There will also be someone with a stopwatch to time the responses of emergency services should they be called so we can document any discrepencies between when they are called by CUPE or the employer. We can chant, cheer, or go zen... but we need to keep moving in order to keep it legal. OH, and if it is cold, some people will watch over our fire barrel while picketing to keep it running. It can be fun, exciting, anxiety=inducing and boring... probably all of that in a week. A goofy, peaceful attitude is called for!
WHAT DO I NOT DO AT THE PICKET LINE?:
1. get into a fight - we need to keep the picket peaceful and legal
2. get obscene - we want to keep ourselves on the high-road, politeness is the key
3. complain so much that it gets others' morale down - we're all in this together! Let's help each other out!
4. talk in detail to reporters, or at all to administration... generalities are fine ("We're fighting for justice!" "We want job security for contract faculty!" etc...) - but there are channels that media and admin must go through to have an actual conversation with anyone in CUPE. Please direct them to the picket captain. IDENTIFY ANY UNKNOWN PERSON ON THE LINE TO THE PICKET CAPTAIN! Sometimes admin has people come out just to disrupt or glean info... we must be cautious.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO PICKET?:
1. wear comfortable shoes
2. dress in layers as you may get hot/cold as the day goes on, brng gloves and extra socks if the weather calls for cold
3. bring food/water/hotdrinks for yourself... feel free to bring extra goodies to share if you want!
4. york ID to sign in
5. a positive attitude - it will help you and others get through the day
6. cell phone or camera - just in case their is an incident, we want photographic proof!
7. your instrument - if you have a guitar or other portable instrument that can accompany some singing, it would be most appreciated as entertainment!
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT IS OVER?: The picket captain will announce the end of the shift and sign you out. You must sign in and out to get strike pay.
Uh...ONE LAST THING... WHERE DO I PEE?: There will be portopotties! You won't have to hold it for 4 hours!!!
:)
Thanks for your attention, picketeers! Hope to see you at the GMM tonight.
In solidarity,
Dilys
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR A SHIFT:
- Your name and contact info
- What shift time you would like, on what day
- Specify whether you are picketing or working on alternative strike duties
We will update the calendar with your name and (p) = picket (alt) = alternative strike duty, so that people can see how well the shifts are being covered. We need to be 15 to 20 people on the line at all times, and we will probably be picketing with Women's studies, Critical Disciplinary Studies, and Social Work.
Picket pay & schedule / alternative duties
The strike date has been set for Thursday Nov. 6th, and the Special Consultative (Final Offer) GMM where we will collectively discuss the proposals offered by the employer, has been set for Wednesday Nov. 5th. However, we are in a legal lockout position on Sunday Nov. 2nd -- we have to be ready to walk by this date. Thus our sign-up shifts begin for Monday Nov. 3rd: just in case of a lock-out.
You can do your shifts back to back (2 or 3 a day) if you have impediments to coming up to campus every day.
If you cannot stand on a picket line for family, medical or legal reasons (etc.), there is a list of alternative duties you can take on, from the union headquarters (near the picket lines) or from home.
November 2008
Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
1 | ||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
(p)Joshua S (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Charles M (p)Kristin G (p)Elissa R (p)Jacy Y (p)Jeremy B (p)Jennifer B (p) Tali B (p)Noelia V | 7
Joshua S -Jacy Y -Jeremy B -Mathew S -Gwen J -Elissa R (p)Noelia V (p)Christina B (p)Noelia V | 8 |
9 | 10
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Charles M (p)Kristin G (p)Charisa N (p)Christina B (p)Hien Nguyen (p)Manolo E (p)Jeremy B (p)Jacy Y (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Kristin G (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M (p) Krista D (p)Noelia V (p)Christina B (p)Ruby S (p)Hien Nguyen (p)Cheryl L (p)Ruby S (p)Joana K (p)Charles O (p)Odilia Y (p)Joana K | 11
(p)Joshua (p)Kristin G (p)Curtis P (p)Nikki Ma (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Christina B (p) Cheryl L (p)Jeremy B (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p) Constance Mara (p)Christina B (p) Joshua Smith (p)Noelia V (p)Ashely C | 12
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Hien N (p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Manolo E (p)Jeremy B (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Noelia V (p)Christina B (p)Cheryl L (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M (p)Ashley C (p)Jenny L | 13
(p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Krista D (p)Jacy Y (p)Jeremy B (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Charles M (p) Tali B ( (p)Ruby S (p)Cheryl L (p)Noelia V
| 14
(p)Jean-Francois N (p)Krisa D. -Jacy Y -Mathew S -Gwen J Elissa R (p)Cheryl L (p)Noelia V (p)Laura A (p)-Charles O | 15 |
16 | 17
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Joshua S (p)Charles M (p)Charisa N(p)Jean-Francois N (p)Jacy Y (p)Jennifer B (p)Karen W (p) Allison B (p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Jeremy B (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M (p) Krista D (p) Ruby S (p)Karen W (p)Charles O | 18
(p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Curtis P (p)Nikki M(p)Jean-Francois N (p) Allison B. (p)Jacy Y (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M (p)Sabrina H (p) Ana B | 19
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Ehud A. (p)Christina B (p) Cheryl L (p)Hien N (p) Allison B (p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Odilia Y (p)Krista D (p)Jennifer B (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M | 20
(p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Jean-Francois N (p) Hien N (p) Cheryl L (p) Allison B.(p)Jacy Y (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Charles M (p)Kristin G (p) Tali B (p)Krista D (p)Ruby S (p)Christina B. (p)Constance M | 21
(p)X (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Christina B (p)Jacy Y (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B
(p)Charles O (p)Charles M (p) GabrielleP (p) Manolo R | 22 |
23 | 24
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Joshua S (p)Charles M (p)Charisa N(p)Jean-Francois N (p)Manolo E (p)Jeremy B (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Kristin G (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M (p)Krista D (p)Ruby S (p)Odilia Y | 25
(p)Stephanie J (p)Hien N (p)Joshua S (p)Kristin G (p)Curtis P (p)Nikki M (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p)Constance M
| 26
(p)Gabrielle P (p)Manolo E (p)Hien N (p)Joshua S (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Manolo E (p)Jeremy B (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Gwen J (p)Kristin G (p)Odilia Y(p)Krista D SHIFT 3 (1PM-5PM) (p)Charles M (p)Odilia Y (p) Constance M | 27
(p)Joshua S (p)Jean-Francois N (p)Jeremy B (p)Hien N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Charles M (p)Kristin G (p) Tali B (p)Ruby S | 28
(p)Jean-Francois N (p)Mathew S (p)Gwen J (p)Elissa R (p)Jennifer B (p)Krista D (p)Charles O | 29 |
30 |