Monday, February 23, 9 AM
Mailout in the East Office Building, all members welcome

Wednesday, February 25, 10 AM
Moving Party at Strike Headquarters on Petrolia, all members welcome

Thursday, February 26, 11 AM
Special GMM to Discuss Back-to-Work Strategies, on-campus location TBA

Friday, February 27, 2 PM-4 PM
Stewards’ Council Meeting at Room 430 of the Student Centre (GSA space)

Saturday, February 28
i. UPDATED: 4 PM-7 PM, TFAC Annual General Meeting, Concord Café (937 Bloor Street West, 1.5 Blocks West of Ossington Station)
ii. UPDATED: 9 PM-2 AM, TFAC Annual Social, Concord Café (937 Bloor Street West, 1.5 Blocks West of Ossington Station)

see all event details below

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University students, researchers, professors and staff are currently occupying the director’s floor in the building of the university administration of Helsinki University in Finland. This happened as an offshoot of a demonstration against a new draconian “reform” soon to be presented to the Finnish parliament.

The new laws (more below) would change the choice of the governing councils of the university, essentially depriving the universities of autonomy, likely putting non-university board members in key positions (business people and politicians) and importantly, introducing the possibility of charging fees for non-EU students… which in Europe is used as a back-door precedent followed by demanding tuition fees from everyone - the failed free-market model.

Many words were heard in reference to other movements to Greece, France, Italy, India and … and then the news came in that students at New York University (http://takebacknyu.com) are practising direct democracy of the same sort.

Below is the statement from Helsinki.

Solidarity from the University of Helsinki to the occupants at NYU Today on Thursday, February the 19th, we occupied the administration building of our university. This took place after our demonstration against the new Universities Act proposed by the Finnish government. The parliament will decide about the law this Spring. We demand the law to be withdrawn. We want to reform our university from a totally different, more democratic perspective.

We are also protesting against the university leadership which has given its support to the law despite our opposition.

The law we are opposing would significantly increase the influence corporations have on our university and thus our science. We are defending the autonomy of knowledge and the freedom of research. We are also defending the free access to higher education as stated in the Finnish Constitution. We are not defending our university as it is, we want to create autonomous spaces for producing and sharing information.

Our demonstration today was participated by 1500 people. It was organised autonomously by students and university staff, independently of their unions. After the demonstration, a group of more than 100 demonstrators occupied this building. Today we have made our voices heard and we will keep doing so until we win!

We want to send you our solidarity. We share your struggle!

Opiskelijatoiminta
http://opiskelijatoiminta.net/english/

Opiskelijatoiminta is an autonomous student collective at the University of Helsinki.

We want to invite everyone to protest against the new Universities Act, proposed by the Finnish government. The parliament will decide about the law this Spring. We demand the law to be withdrawn: we want to reform our university from totally different points of departure!

NEXT UP:    FRIDAY THE 13TH, MARCH 2009 - DEMONSTRATION IN HELSINKI
Let’s organize walkouts, sit-ins, occupations —> Strike against the new Universities Act!

THIS IS HOW WE LEARN. THIS IS HOW WE FIGHT.Thursday, February 19 2009 @ 01:54 PM CST
Exiled in NYU: A communiqué from New School students within the NYU occupation.

At the dawn of the New School occupation last December, we wrote, “This is only the beginning.”
We weren’t joking.

We are now occupying the halls of NYU alongside their students. With our bodies and barricades, we continue to manifest ourselves as a force of interruption against the enforced passivity of the university.

This occupation arises at a time of economic turmoil. The current crisis of capital is no fluke; it is the result of the real social conditions in which we live. NYU, one of the largest property owners in New York City, is a clear perpetrator of the misery everyone now feels. It has no alibi, only vulnerabilities.

From the insurrection in Greece to the revolts of Eastern Europe, from the university occupations across England to the general uprising in Oakland, something is in air. We can’t name it, but we can all feel it. Uncompromising, our power is growing. What has started as a singular strike against the structure of NYU’s form of domination will become a strike against the general logic of domination.

When we occupy spaces and liberate their use, we appropriate for ourselves the means of our very existence. We find each other here and now, in the midst of conflict and crisis, overturning every role we’re given, annulling every attempt to reconcile.

This is how we learn. This is how we fight.

In Exile,
Students of the New School
Feb 19th, 2009

For more on the NYU Student Occupation, visit the NYU Student Occupation blog “Take Back NYU” go to http://takebacknyu.com

See also the NY Times Feb. 20th article “N.Y.U. Students Continue Occupation to Press Demands.”

LINK HERE for a recap of the recent sit-ins at York University, during the historic 2008-09 CUPE 3903 Strike for Quality and Accessible Education.

Come out to the
UNDERGRADUATE FORUM: Why Students Supported the CUPE 3903 Strike.

Thursday, February 12th 2009
5:00 pm
Rm 307 The Student Centre

Speakers from various student groups discuss the strike and its importance to students. Includes an open forum for students to engage with the issues.

- Why we as students support the CUPE strike:
- We are or will be workers in the future.
- Back-to-work legislation is an attack on basic labour rights
- wages, benefits, and social services have been undermined by both government and business interests for decades
only through collective action can we defend our interests
- CUPE 3903 has been at the forefront of fighting for accessibile and quality education
- If undergraduate students had supported the strike from the beginning, it would have ended a lot sooner

An Undergraduate Intiative. Supported by OPIRG York, Students Against Israeli Apartheid, Always Question, Basics Free Community Newsletter and more…

To Christina Rousseau
Chair, CUPE 3903 Executive

Dear Madam,

I am writing to draw your attention to an international call sent by French University teachers. For the first time since 1986, we are now on a national strike, with various local situations. I know the whole world seems to think we are priviledged socialists (!) but some of us did fight bitterly to get their current civil servant status, which is now under threat.

We do need your support.

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http://manunioccupation.wordpress.com

Over 150 University of Manchester students have occupied the main university administration building in a demand for a stronger and more proactive position from the university on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The students have proposed a set of demands on the university’s Vice Chancellor Alan Gilbert, including a boycott of Israeli goods on campus, support for a day of fundraising with proceeds to the DEC fund, and that the university end research into
manufacturing arms.

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February 4, 2009

Greetings to CUPE 3903,

On behalf of the Executive and members of the Syndicat des chargées et chargés de cours de l’Université Laval (SCCCUL), I am writing to offer our support and solidarity in your recent conflict with York University.

We have been following closely your union’s struggle for decent working conditions for contractual faculty at York University. The decision taken by the Government of Ontario to force you back to work flies in the face of the most basic principles of collective bargaining.

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February 2, 2009

Members of CUPE 3903:

On behalf of the entire NDP caucus I would like to express our thanks to the executive, the bargaining team and all the members of CUPE 3903 for their hard work and commitment during the recent struggle at York University.

Faced with an employer who refused to negotiate, the members of 3903 acted responsibly and vigorously in an attempt to negotiate a collective agreement that recognized and reflected the long term, best interests of the students.

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All members of CUPE 3903 are encouraged to attend the General Membership Meeting today, Wednesday, February 4, from 6 PM-9 PM at Trinity-St. Paul Church (427 Bloor Street West).

Please note that as we are no longer on strike, attendance at GMMs is not considered strike duty and will not be paid; however, we will have no shortage of things to talk about!

TTC tokens will be available, food will be provided, and member child care expenses will be reimbursed.

Tentative Agenda

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Undergrad support.

Above photo by nkvd_mosin

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