An open letter to striking Faculty,
After four long years of hard work, determination, and perseverance I, as well as many other students alike, was beginning to see the light at the end of the long tunnel that is University. On Thursday March 2nd, 2018 that light was quickly taken away when the Teaching Assistants, Contract Faculty, and Graduate Assistants at York University voted in favour of pursing a strike in hopes to end labour negotiations which began late September of 2017.
The light that seemed so close, is now in limbo as we await more updates surrounding the impending strike. As students, we understand that reaching a fair and appropriate contract is important and necessary for the school to function effectively and for us to receive quality education; BUT, this comes at a large cost to us as students, who are so often forgotten about during a strike.
The typical undergraduate student at York University pays $7, 523 (plus fees) per year for a typical 4-year program, making a total investment of over $30,000 towards improving their future and ability to contribute to society as high functioning adults. When the student enrolls in their program they anticipate a graduation date (e.g. April 2018) and begin to make plans/plan accordingly for future life events. Myself, I have/had an expected graduation date of April 2018 with a job offer starting mid-April in my field of study. Like many students, it’s been a juggling act to balance grades with work so I personally decided to take a break from working while finishing up the last four months of my undergraduate degree. With the impending strike, my graduation and completion date will/can be pushed, and my job offer could be revoked due to the need to fill the position by the employer. The most stressing issue surround this is my ever so declining finances. Paying for school each year is challenging enough, but when you remove summer working months and extend semesters it makes it near impossible for students to afford the cost of living.
Coming to terms with the idea that after four long years of blood, sweat, and many tears my final year may become more chaotic and ‘scrambled’ then my last three, is a difficult and daunting mental task. As demonstrated with the College Strike in the Fall of 2017, students suffered mentally, financially and emotionally, and many withdrew from their programs due to the uncertainty of their futures. This should be an indicator to Faculty of all levels that students truly do suffer the most when a strike occurs.
Although we cannot do anything to stop a strike from happening, as students we can voice our opinions and concerns with hopes that the Faculty remembers why they choose teaching as a career in the first place. Without students, teachers would not have the ability to wake up and do what they love every day. I urge the Faculty to remember this as they stand at their picket line and students sit at home unsettled, uneased and anxious about their futures and possibly missing out on the opportunity to one day wake up and do what they love everyday as well.
I ask the Faculty to be mindful of our futures, and hope that they make the best decision with our well-beings in mind.
Sincerely,
A stressed out, worried, and defeated University Student
