| I appreciate this message, Sam, above all for its encouragement to put ourselves in the shoes of our TSSU colleagues on the picket line.
Dozens of us have taken shifts on the line in recent weeks and will know how profoundly difficult being on strike can be. I’ve seen students being abusive to picketers every time I’ve been on the line and members of faculty have yelled insults at picketers as well. There was at least one instance a couple of weeks ago where a member of faculty forced his way through a picket line aggressively and dangerously in a vehicle on Burnaby Mountain.
I’m not excusing the actions of the TSSU members depicted in the video. But I will point out that they have been on strike for over a month and that a significant portion of them may have problems making rent—a prospect I don’t imagine any of us are facing. TSSU members are, as I believe all of us can agree on, increasingly unable to maintain a dignified quality of life in this region, a fact underscored by the unprecedented public letter by graduate chairs denouncing grad student funding levels earlier this year.
The TSSU has run an immensely disciplined strike so far and they’ve had one slip up. Let’s not lose focus on the fact that our employer has dragged its heels for months, made insulting offers at the bargaining table, removed health care benefits, hired private goons to surveil and intimidate strikers (and faculty on the line), and more.
Enda On Oct 17, 2023, at 16:48, Sam Black <samuel_black@sfu.ca> wrote:
Hi All,
I guess my reaction to the disruption of lectures is that we should keep our heads during a stressful time.
Some grad students are experiencing serious financial hardship: even meeting their caloric requirements is a challenge. (Vancouver is not a cheap city.) They furthermore have no idea how and when this will end.
I don't think disrupting lectures is a great idea. But we ought to keep a sense of proportion. The stakes are very high for many of these students; for us not so much. (And they did wear clothes -- unlike some college protestors during the '60's.)
Best,
Sam
Sam Black Assoc. Prof. Philosophy, SFU
This note is not AI-generated.
I respectfully acknowledge that SFU is on the unceded ancestral and traditional territories of the səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) Nations.
From: Nancy Forde <nforde@sfu.ca>
Sent: October 17, 2023 1:11:09 PM
To: Wendy Loken Thornton; Ronda Arab; James Fleming
Cc: Faculty Forum Mail List
Subject: RE: Intimidation of faculty and students Hi all, I have been honouring the TSSU picket line (in spite of my many concerns for students not a direct part of this dispute), and I was angered to see their members’ actions in this shared video. This disrespectful behaviour has caused me to question my support of their picket line. I have written to the TSSU leadership to share my concerns and my view that actions such as these can lead to an erosion in support from faculty and students. If you wish to share your perspective, they can be reached at tssu@tssu.ca. Best wishes,
Nancy Here it is: While disturbing, I think we need to figure out if this is in fact illegal. It appears through other forums that this was done in other large classrooms as well today. *** Wendy Loken Thornton, Ph.D. R.Psych
Professor, Department of Psychology Director, Cognitive Aging Lab
Simon Fraser University *** The SFU Burnaby campus is located on the unceded traditional territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Kwikwetlem Nations. Note: My working hours and yours may differ. Please don't feel obligated to reply outside of your normal hours.
From: Ronda Arab <ronda_arab@sfu.ca>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2023 6:05 PM
To: James Fleming
Cc: Faculty Forum Mail List
Subject: Re: Intimidation of faculty and students Does someone have a link to the video? Dear colleagues, I have just watched a very distressing (tik tok) video apparently showing a group of TSSU strikers invading a lecture hall, doing their best to disrupt the lecture, and aggressively intimidating the faculty member trying to teach his students. Perhaps others of you have seen this video or will see it; perhaps there are or will be others like it. I assume that actions of the kind shown in the video are illegal, and not only under the Labour Code. I call on TSSU to condemn and disavow these actions. Sincerely, JDF Professor, Department of English Simon Fraser University Burnaby/Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The truth is an offence, but not a sin. -- Bob Marley
Enda Brophy (he/him)
Associate Professor | School of Communication Associate | Labour Studies
Simon Fraser University | HC 3559
515 W Hastings St, Vancouver V6B 5K3
E: ebrophy@sfu.ca
Simon Fraser University lies on the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Kwikwetlem (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm) Nations.
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