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.
