I've received several inquiries about the same topics, so I'm posting the info for all!
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
