Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 16:43:13 -0500
From: "Geoff Carpenter"
To: message@esmartstudent.com
Subject: Reply to 'Brent Simpson'


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Initially I wasn't going to waste my time responding to such a well thought out and intelligent post. Points like "total moron" and "you will be on welfare when you graduate" are oh so hard to reply to -- but I'll give it a shot.

First off, I am an undergrad and you can email me if you doubt it (yu260219@yorku.ca). I probably know more about this strike and the reasons for it than you ever will. As a faculty brat I have access to materials that you never will. Have you ever met Debra Hobson? Do you know Robert Drummond? How about Joel Harding? I have made an educated choice about who is at fault based on all the material available to me.

While you suggest I have been 'stting on my hairy ass' nothing could be further from the truth. I have been a part of several demonstrations against the administration during the strike, and I am working full time.

CUPE got paid $10/hour today to picket in the freezing cold. I got paid $12/hour today to sit behind a desk in a nice warm office (in fact I've earned about $2 just while writing this message). Those lucky bastards! Should I donate my income to you as well? Maybe if you got a job this would not be so much of an issue for you. Would that $100 dollars really help you out all that much? You get your $100 and CUPE doesn't get to eat -- sounds fair to me.

You have the audacity to call me a 'brain washed moron' when you probably know nothing about the strike or the issues yourself. You don't understand that York's administration has consistantly had problems with negotiations ever since Lorna Marsden became president. You don't know the status of relations between YUFA (who's contract expires this summer) and the administration. You don't know how under-qualified for her position President Marsden is.

Holding the supervised vote cost the administration 100K. Reports are that CUPE's demands are only 250K more than what the administration is offering. York has a budget of $480 MILLION per year. If the adminstration had not wasted 100K on that vote they would have only been 150K short of CUPE's demands. Even so, if you cannot find 250K in a budget of $480 million then you are incompetent.

Maybe President Marsden could actually drive herself around, and maybe -- just maybe -- she could pay for her own house. This may sound crazy, but maybe the adminstration could refrain from giving themselves pay raises just before the strike. These individuals are attempting to make the public see CUPE as greedy, when the fact of the matter is that York has had the money all along -- they just want it for themselves.

The members of CUPE are fighting against the all mighty dollar. Most of these individuals live below the poverty line and are now making do with even less money. They are fighting for benefits current member will likely never receive. One hundred and fifty years ago unions formed to fight against child labor and incredibly dangerous and unhealthy working conditions. Were it not for unions the world would be a far different one than we now know. The suggestion that 'alumni' made would make it impossible for Unions to operate and would give complete power to the employers. That is unappropriate and completely unfair to the workers.

The problem is that many students only see that they are being hurt by this strike. They do not understand the sacrifices that CUPE members are making. Living on under $10,000 per year is hard. They are now having to live on far less than that because they are taking up the fight against corporate universities. Rather than blame them for me missing school, I commend them for fighting against the all mighty dollar.

Regards,

Geoff


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