- Week 2: Day 5

Pay Day Too: And Other Rewards


Greetings Sheridan Faculty,
Nothing like a grassroots movement to bring out the best in people. Sheridan’s Faculty Union, 244’s Local Executive Committee (LEC) members, and many other likeminded volunteers, have stepped forward and become part of the Strike 2017 leaders group. There’s no SWF that can capture this workload.
There are many facets involved in running a strike – as we are learning as we go: from provincial participation committees, to local infrastructure preparation and maintenance, to traditional and social media communication, to morale boosting, to processing and responding to, reams of tangible and megabytes of virtual, correspondence and eforms, and there’s the kilometres of road travel.
I am gladdened and made proud as I see volunteers at their tasks, from organizing the trailer offices, to cleaning the toilets, gassing-up and oiling the generators, repairing signs, organizing picket lines, funneling cars through pylons, speaking with drivers and students, toting water and coffee and soft-drinks – we even have a travelling Striketoberfest truck-and-van convey cooking eggs and sausage breakfasts, barbecuing hot dogs lunches, all to oompapa music blaring from the truck speakers. I will list all the players in this ad hoc leadership configuration in a future note.
It’s an extended family picnic – of sorts. Sure, mistakes have been made. Tempers have flared. Feelings have been hurt. But so has banter bandied, chatter chuckled, laughter united and goodwill flourished. Like I said, it’s an extended family picnic.
So, in the true spirit of volunteerism, where need sets the hours of work and the limits of endurance, our financial team is coming back tomorrow to finish up the cheque distribution. There are not many cheques left so please be prompt, the distribution team has some travelling to do.
For Friday October 27:
All The Cheques From All The Picket Sites will be taken to
Davis: 11:30 AM
HMC: 1:00 PM
Traf:   2:00 PM
And there will be an additional distribution of HMC cheques only:
HMC: 10:30 AM
If you can’t make any of these, you can pick up your cheque
Monday October 20, at 11:00 AM
at our temporary office in the basement of
Unifor Local 707 (Galaxie Club Entrance side)
Week 2 is drawing to a close; we are in this for the long haul. Whether you are in the 67.5% who were willing to strike for these important improvements, or in the 32.5% who were not, if we don’t see this out – we will have wasted our time and energy and lost what we had and given up on a better future. The camaraderie growing amongst us deserves some measure of success and more so, our goals are noble and their recipients, the children of Ontario, so very important.
Have a nice weekend all.
Standing strong together,
Jack

Jack Urowitz,
President, OPSEU Local 244
Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
(905) 845-9430 Extension 2832
Union Office 4065