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<DIV> <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: white">Dear All, <BR><BR>We write to invite
you as faculty, emeritus faculty and librarians to sign this Open Letter that we
plan to publish in The Star. We hope to gather as many signatures as
possible.<BR> </SPAN></DIV>
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<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Over the last couple of days, a smaller group of us
have been working to transform a letter that had circulated for
signatures previously into a public statement. We have also been working
on the logistics of circulation, signatories and fundraising. The revised text
appears below. In the interests of moving quickly and minimizing email back
and forth we ask you to do the following:</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">1. READ</SPAN></B><SPAN style="BACKGROUND: white">
the statement below. Alert us if you find any glaring problems, typos or
inaccuracies.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">2. SIGN</SPAN></B><SPAN style="BACKGROUND: white">
the statement by replying to this email ASAP, including your department, if
your status is Emeritus, and any honours you may want to include (CRCs, Royal
Society, etc). It is important to avoid inundating everyone's e-mail with
messages, <B><SPAN style="COLOR: red">SO PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY ALL,
just reply to: openletterutfaculty@gmail.com</SPAN></B></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">3. CONTRIBUTE </SPAN></B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">if you are able. The Star is giving us a heavily
discounted rate for the ad, but the smallest possible size we can use that
will fit the letter and still have impact is a 1/3 page advertisement with a
price tag of $7,116. Please give what you can. If everyone on the list were to
give $100 we would be getting close, but some may not give, so please reach
deep. If there is any surplus we would of course discuss where to direct it
(e.g., donation to CUPE, etc). You can contribute by sending an interac
e-payment to this email address:
openletterutfaculty@gmail.com. </SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Please make the password 'Robarts' (capital R) and
the security question 'library that looks like a turkey'</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">4. RECRUIT!</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> We need more signatories (and $!). Please please if
everyone could take it upon themselves to try and get at least a handful of
your colleagues involved, that would be very helpful.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">5. MOVE QUICKLY</SPAN></B><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">. All of this needs to be done fast. We are asking
for all signatures and donations by Sunday March 15th at 11pm
EST. </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Many thanks,</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal> </P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Alissa Trotz, Deborah Cowen, Michelle Murphy, Susan
Ruddick, Sarah Wakefield, Judith Taylor<BR><BR><BR></SPAN></P>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 14pt 30pt">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">OPEN LETTER FROM FACULTY, EMERITI AND LIBRARIANS AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO</SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">We are now [FILL BLANK] days into the strike by
members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 at the University of Toronto. Those on strike are
mostly graduate students who teach at the University to support themselves and
their families as they also study and research full time.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">It is patently clear to us that it is not business
as usual at the University. We know that undergraduate students are worried
about class assignments, cancelled classes, worried about examinations and
graduating on time. Students and their striking teachers want to get back to
learning.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Graduate students are vital to our classrooms as
teaching fellows, demonstrators, tutors, markers, instructors, laboratory
assistants, exam invigilators and part-time lecturers, small group leaders for
large courses. The University simply cannot fulfill its educational
mission without the work that they do.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">The members of Unit 1 of CUPE 3902 are also the
researchers of the future and our collaborators today. The University
of Toronto$B!G(Bs mission is to be an internationally significant research
university devoted to excellence. Supporting our graduate students, who
do the innovative research of tomorrow, is vital to this
vision.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">However, the members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 cannot
carry out their work effectively unless they have adequate financial
resources. Graduate students deserve employment compensation and an overall
base funding package that reflect more adequately what it actually costs to
live in Toronto. To have any less severely impedes the development of
their capacities as current educators and future scholars, with implications
for higher education and society.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">Doing everything we can to support graduate students
is in the University$B!G(Bs best interests. The University prides itself on its
global ranking. Yet, our standard funding package is much lower than the ones
offered by other top universities in the world. This puts us at a competitive
disadvantage in recruiting top graduate students from Canada and
abroad.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">The stresses on the University are not new to this
strike. Chronic provincial underfunding means that Ontario universities
are teaching more students per full</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Cambria Math','serif'; BACKGROUND: white">$B!>(B</SPAN><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">time faculty member with less money per student than
all other Canadian provinces. We have dramatically increased our number of
undergraduate students without adding more faculty. This has resulted in
a chronic situation of making up the difference with underpaid insecure
positions. These are truly challenging problems facing the future of
higher education. Administration, faculty, and students should be coming
together to address them.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white"> </SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white" class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: white">For these reasons, we call on the University
administration to commit to the bargaining table and negotiate a fairer
funding package and better conditions for labour and
study.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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