Well, I just got back from the American Association of Law Libraries conference in Washington D.C. last week. My first time there. The networking was excellent. I met all kinds of interesting people there.
I will say though, that as far as the educational program was concerned, it was rather hit and miss. There were some good programs, including one called, "So you think you can teach". This was done in a classroom format, where the speakers spoke as if the audience were actually their students. It waas intersting to see the differences that each instructor used. One actually liked to walk around the classroom and sit next to her students as she was lecturing. Interesting way to do it. Although if you only have a one hour seminar it probably isn't the best way to do it.
The move to our temporary quarters is proceeding, but its slow. We should be moved in by the time school starts. Hopefully, everything will turn out for well.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Osgoode is finally getting a renovation!!
Many academic libraries have had renovation work done to them over the past two decades. Now it is finally time for Osgoode to join them. The school has finally been given government money to start its long-awaited renovation. The announcement was made on Friday, but was officially announced today on the Industry Canada website. Among the top priorities in the renovation will be the library! Let's hope the renovation will bring much more added light and brightness to the library.
CALL Conference
I'm just back from the CALL (Canadian Association of Law Libraries) conference that was held last week in Halifax. There were actually some very good sessions.
One interesting session was a librarian from Illinois who came and has a theory that sooner rather than later, there will not be many librarians, however there will be more librarians. It sounds odd. Although she makes some good points in her theory, I'm not sure I can ever really see that happening. Yes, its true that most people nowadays want everything online. However, until we invent something like star trek, I'm not convinced that is going to happen. There will always need to be places to store, and most importantly find information, and not everything will be online.
There were other interesting topics, such as the legal obligation of what to do when someone gets older and can no longer care for themselves. The speaker, a professor from Dalhousie, was dynamic and very engaging.
As for the social events, the banquet was quite fun. I especially enjoyed watching one of the government documents librarians from Newfoundland nearly hurt himself playing the spoons. The lobster, which most people had (I had steak) was brought in to the sound of bagpipes.
All in all, it was a very good conference. See all of you next year in Windsor Ontario!
One interesting session was a librarian from Illinois who came and has a theory that sooner rather than later, there will not be many librarians, however there will be more librarians. It sounds odd. Although she makes some good points in her theory, I'm not sure I can ever really see that happening. Yes, its true that most people nowadays want everything online. However, until we invent something like star trek, I'm not convinced that is going to happen. There will always need to be places to store, and most importantly find information, and not everything will be online.
There were other interesting topics, such as the legal obligation of what to do when someone gets older and can no longer care for themselves. The speaker, a professor from Dalhousie, was dynamic and very engaging.
As for the social events, the banquet was quite fun. I especially enjoyed watching one of the government documents librarians from Newfoundland nearly hurt himself playing the spoons. The lobster, which most people had (I had steak) was brought in to the sound of bagpipes.
All in all, it was a very good conference. See all of you next year in Windsor Ontario!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A new deal!! Finally!!!
Yes indeed! Last night CUPE local 3903 and York University finally managed to come to a tentative agreement. After more than six months of negotiations, and a 12 week strike that shut down nearly all of the university, the two sides finally came to an agreement last night. Details weren't released, but here's hoping CUPE members are smart enough to ratify it. I imagine they will. I can't see them turning it down, as I think most of them just want to get it over with.
Some people may wonder why an arbitrator just didn't force a settlement. According to the back to work legislation, s. 13(1) says that the mediator-arbitrator can start to mediate within 30 days of being appointed (that being near the middle of February 2009) and has 90 days to help the parties come to an agreement. If there is no agreement by the end of 90 days, than the mediator-arbitrator can force a settlement on the parties.
Here's hoping YUFA (the Faculty association) isn't stupid enough to go on strike. Their negotiations will start soon.
Some people may wonder why an arbitrator just didn't force a settlement. According to the back to work legislation, s. 13(1) says that the mediator-arbitrator can start to mediate within 30 days of being appointed (that being near the middle of February 2009) and has 90 days to help the parties come to an agreement. If there is no agreement by the end of 90 days, than the mediator-arbitrator can force a settlement on the parties.
Here's hoping YUFA (the Faculty association) isn't stupid enough to go on strike. Their negotiations will start soon.
Friday, February 13, 2009
They're baaack!
The strike is finally over! After nearly 3 months, all of York's students are finally back in class. T.A.'s are teaching again, but not cheerfully. Indeed, many report that, while not much has been said to them personally, they have been getting, well, quite angry looks from their students in class.
What, did they think that students would simply forget that they've been out of class for 3 months an let bygones be bygones. I doubt the T.A.'s wouldn't think that, but students are angry, and rightfully so.
Many have asked, why it took the provincial government so long to step in and order the union back to work. Well, the short answer is, you do need to give bargaining a chance to work. However, once the parties are deadlocked with no chance of resolving their dispute, only then can the government act. This is what happened here.
We can all rant and scream that CUPE should never have been allowed to go on strike. However, education has not been deemed essential. Under the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act s. 30 Someone can only be deemed an essential worker if not doing the work would cause danger to life, health or saftety, damage to property, serious environmental damage, or disruption of the courts. Thus, since education doesn't fit those criteria, you can't necessarily order CUPE back to work based on essential services.
It will be interesting to watch the YUFA negotiations. Our contract ends on April 30th. I hope we don't go out on strike. It would be another added hardship to the students, and faculty.
What, did they think that students would simply forget that they've been out of class for 3 months an let bygones be bygones. I doubt the T.A.'s wouldn't think that, but students are angry, and rightfully so.
Many have asked, why it took the provincial government so long to step in and order the union back to work. Well, the short answer is, you do need to give bargaining a chance to work. However, once the parties are deadlocked with no chance of resolving their dispute, only then can the government act. This is what happened here.
We can all rant and scream that CUPE should never have been allowed to go on strike. However, education has not been deemed essential. Under the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act s. 30 Someone can only be deemed an essential worker if not doing the work would cause danger to life, health or saftety, damage to property, serious environmental damage, or disruption of the courts. Thus, since education doesn't fit those criteria, you can't necessarily order CUPE back to work based on essential services.
It will be interesting to watch the YUFA negotiations. Our contract ends on April 30th. I hope we don't go out on strike. It would be another added hardship to the students, and faculty.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Strike is Ending!! (Hopefully!!!)
You may wonder why I put the word "hopefully" in the title. This is because the strike at York is hopefully at an end. The premier finally called the legislature back to get this legislation passed on Sunday. However, the NDP refused to go along with it. So, the bill is stalled while the politicians debate. However, it should be passed by Thursday. If this should happen, all of the students should be back in class on Monday.
However, CUPE held a protest at Queen's Park. 200 showed up. Out of 3400, that's not such a great turnout, if almsost 70% refused to sign onto the University's latest offer last week, you'd think more would have shown up. As it was, 4 people got arrested for being stupid and causing a bit too much of a ruckus.
There are threats that if this bill does pass on Thursday, CUPE will launch a court challenge, which would delay the school year even further. They have no legal grounds to win (at least in my humble opinion). The negotiations were at a complete deadlock, and if negotiations are at a complete deadlock, then the legislature has the power to order the union back. They've lost the battle of public opinion already. No need to damage their already sullied reputation further.
You may wonder why I put the word "hopefully" in the title. This is because the strike at York is hopefully at an end. The premier finally called the legislature back to get this legislation passed on Sunday. However, the NDP refused to go along with it. So, the bill is stalled while the politicians debate. However, it should be passed by Thursday. If this should happen, all of the students should be back in class on Monday.
However, CUPE held a protest at Queen's Park. 200 showed up. Out of 3400, that's not such a great turnout, if almsost 70% refused to sign onto the University's latest offer last week, you'd think more would have shown up. As it was, 4 people got arrested for being stupid and causing a bit too much of a ruckus.
There are threats that if this bill does pass on Thursday, CUPE will launch a court challenge, which would delay the school year even further. They have no legal grounds to win (at least in my humble opinion). The negotiations were at a complete deadlock, and if negotiations are at a complete deadlock, then the legislature has the power to order the union back. They've lost the battle of public opinion already. No need to damage their already sullied reputation further.
Monday, November 17, 2008
York is on Strike!!
Yep. CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 3903) has been on strike now for a week and a half. It represents the teaching assistants, and contract faculty. All classes at the university are suspended. The Union wants a wage increase of 11% over two years. The University has offered 9.25% over three years, the same amount that other unions settled for. However, with all the other benefits the union is asking for, their total goes much higher than that.
But, I doubt the university is going to budge on this. In the first place, during these tough economic times, the university can't afford to pay the union what they are asking for, so asking for that sort of raise and benefits is a waste of time. The University has lost a lot of money because of the downturn and needs to tighten its belt, at least, from what I've heard.
In the second place, I am sure that the University is getting tremendous pressure from other schools across the country not to budge. The national part of CUPE wants to unify T.A.'s and contract faculty across tthe country and have them all bargain at the same time. If York backs off, it will look as if they conceded to the union, and I don't think they're going to budge.
Conversely, the union is getting pressure from the national branch to stay the course. They say that they need more money to help students pay for their education, and job security so that the contract faculty don't have to reapply for their jobs every year.
There are problems with their arguments. One is, in the case of the graduate students, they work part time, the majority only 10 hours per week, so why should they get so much more when others get less? Second, for contract faculty. In a sense, they chose being part time. Have any of them asked to be full-time? We don't know. No one has said. I agree they shouldn't have to reapply for their jobs every year, so perhaps the two to three years is fine. However, the compensation the union is asking for makes it difficult.
I sometimes wonder if the majority of the picketers on the lines truly know what they are striking for. Yes, they are very bright people, but I'm not sure that they truly realize it.
In most negotiations, only a few people on each side are involved in the negotiating. When they tell us what went on, they will only do it from their point of view. Thus, we really don't get the whole story from either side. That's why I didn't go into practice with collective bargaining. I'm sick of all the grandstanding. That's what it is folks, it's all a game.
As usual, our students are caught in the middle. The people we depend on to pay our salaries and benefits are now being left out in the cold (excuse the pun on a cold day like this) by others who say they are striking for quality education. What's this about quality educaton? This strike isn't about that. It's about money and benefits, pure and simple!!
The whole thing could be settled by binding arbitration, as the TTC strike was settled. The union has rejected it, claiming that it favours the employer. My personal opinion on this is that the union has no chance of convincing an arbitrator of the merits of their case, especially with the tough economic times and the fact that the other unions got less, so they're not going to agree to it.
Well, here's hoping common sense prevails, and classes start again soon. I miss the cheerful talk of students (as well as their groaning).
But, I doubt the university is going to budge on this. In the first place, during these tough economic times, the university can't afford to pay the union what they are asking for, so asking for that sort of raise and benefits is a waste of time. The University has lost a lot of money because of the downturn and needs to tighten its belt, at least, from what I've heard.
In the second place, I am sure that the University is getting tremendous pressure from other schools across the country not to budge. The national part of CUPE wants to unify T.A.'s and contract faculty across tthe country and have them all bargain at the same time. If York backs off, it will look as if they conceded to the union, and I don't think they're going to budge.
Conversely, the union is getting pressure from the national branch to stay the course. They say that they need more money to help students pay for their education, and job security so that the contract faculty don't have to reapply for their jobs every year.
There are problems with their arguments. One is, in the case of the graduate students, they work part time, the majority only 10 hours per week, so why should they get so much more when others get less? Second, for contract faculty. In a sense, they chose being part time. Have any of them asked to be full-time? We don't know. No one has said. I agree they shouldn't have to reapply for their jobs every year, so perhaps the two to three years is fine. However, the compensation the union is asking for makes it difficult.
I sometimes wonder if the majority of the picketers on the lines truly know what they are striking for. Yes, they are very bright people, but I'm not sure that they truly realize it.
In most negotiations, only a few people on each side are involved in the negotiating. When they tell us what went on, they will only do it from their point of view. Thus, we really don't get the whole story from either side. That's why I didn't go into practice with collective bargaining. I'm sick of all the grandstanding. That's what it is folks, it's all a game.
As usual, our students are caught in the middle. The people we depend on to pay our salaries and benefits are now being left out in the cold (excuse the pun on a cold day like this) by others who say they are striking for quality education. What's this about quality educaton? This strike isn't about that. It's about money and benefits, pure and simple!!
The whole thing could be settled by binding arbitration, as the TTC strike was settled. The union has rejected it, claiming that it favours the employer. My personal opinion on this is that the union has no chance of convincing an arbitrator of the merits of their case, especially with the tough economic times and the fact that the other unions got less, so they're not going to agree to it.
Well, here's hoping common sense prevails, and classes start again soon. I miss the cheerful talk of students (as well as their groaning).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)