Hotashi

The contract academic staff at my university are on a legal strike after six months of negotiations with the adminstration. It has been just over two weeks since it started. I went to an information session put on by some full-time faculty who are supporting the CAS. Sadly they were mostly sociology professors who showed up to show support, which really says something about the full-time staff in other departments and their commitment to social justice. The vast majority, if not all full-time professors were part-time at some point in their careers and they should know how underpaid, overworked, and exploited the CAS workers are. How can you NOT show support? It disgusts me, really. It’s one thing to be a self-centred student who is too ignorant and unaware of the world to understand how abismal the working conditions for part-time faculty are. But what excuse do full-time professors have? Especially those with tenure status. You’re not going to get fired. What are you doing to make your university a better place?

I was also disappointed at the minimal turnout from students, especially those who continually complain that they aren’t getting information about the strike. Well here was their opportunity and they didn’t even bother to show up. They would rather join facebook groups to rant about how they are victimized by the strike (as if CAS aren’t), complain about the lack of effort from their student’s union, and/or tell people picketting to get off the fucking sidewalk. Yes, students have done that. The former two items are valid reasons for frustration, but why aren’t students doing anything about it? What does it take for students to get informed and take action? When will students realize that the university should belong to them?

It is also sad to know how many people are misinformed about the working conditions of part-time faculty. I was definately one of these people during my undergraduate career since it wasn’t until I was a grad student and had more interaction with the politics in an acedmic setting where I discovered the injustices of part-time faculty. We (the grad students) were equipped with two grad study spaces on our floor, which included 8 computers, 12+ desks, and 12+ chairs (I can’t remember exactly). The two part-time offices on the same floor have less space than us and only 2-3 chairs in each office. So basically, only two or three part-time faculty members can use the room at a time even though there are eight desks in each office. I felt degraded for them when I saw that. If I were a part-time professor, why would I want to work there? I have no privacy, no place to store any of my things, and I have to fight for a chair to even sit at a desk.

I was also misinformed about how much part-time faculty get paid. For doing the same amount of work for a course as full-time professors, they get paid $6,212 per course. That is so pathetic considering the amount of education and qualifications they have. They also do not get benefits, have no job security, and have to work at two or more universities to have a full course load. And since many of them commute, the money that is left over is minimal. Many have to go on welfare and use foodbanks during the summer months because they are unemployed. That just disgusts me. Especially when I see the ridiculous amount of money that the members of the administration make. All six figures over $150,000 each. And why do they deserve that?

Anyway, I’m all over the place. But I just wanted to say how disappointed I am that there isn’t a strong voice that is crying out for injustice. People should not have to fight for fair wages and healthy working conditions. Especially those who are so dedicated to their work and their students that they end up working for free at the end of the semester because their contract money has run out. That is dedication. To all those students who complain that they are getting screwed over, seek out who is creating this chain of injustice rather than being so short sighted.

To leave off, here is an article written in The Record by a part-time professor at Laurier: Part-time professor putting in full-time hours

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