political activism

The author prefers to remain anonymous

Appendix T, a primary negotiating position proposed by YUFA Executive, should be of grave concern to YUFA members. They need to be informed about it. Appendix T (formerly U) in effect suggests that all YUFA members (irrespective of salary) forego a 4% salary increase in the first year of the new contract. Appendix T can only be defeated if people come out and vote against it.

Norene Pupo

...Even last year when I asked YUFA for a $500 donation to support a conference, Labour Rights as Human Rights, (a conference following the BC Supreme Court Decision, and involving international guests from the ILO) YUFA refused, despite again wide labour support, including support from the other campus unions...

Tyler Shipley

There is growing acknowledgement... that there is a crisis in post-secondary education and a need for real change in the structure of university funding. This has manifested as a proliferation of student and worker unrest across the country and, indeed, the world; in 2008 and early 2009, there were dozens of university strikes and occupations across the world marked both by broader ideological challenges to the prevailing social order as well as increased repression from campus and state authorities... The recent strike of graduate students and part-time faculty at York University in Toronto over the winter of 2008-09 confronted these questions directly... this piece will sketch a brief history of the funding crisis in post-secondary education in the hopes of highlighting what I think are the crucial pressure-points in fighting back the trends toward inaccessible and watered-down educational experiences for students and low-reward, exploitative working conditions for teachers.

To read the complete article, go to:
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/bullet215.html

David Noble

For years York University has kept its liability insurance policy confidential, preventing faculty, staff, and students from knowing that they are covered. Thanks to the interventions of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario the policy has now been made public.

Marcia Macaulay

The YUFA Special Membership Meeting on March 3, 2009 was an important
event for the membership as a whole. It was attended by approximately one
hundred and fifty members. This meeting concentrated on motions brought
from the previous Special Membership Meeting on February 9.

The York Democratic Forum is pleased to acknowledge the major work of the women writers and editors who make our website a space for critical inquiry and political activism. In solidarity: THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS!

David McNally

Dear President Shoukri, I am writing to protest the disciplinary actions taken by your administration against Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York, specifically the one month suspension of the group and fines against their organization and its contact person.