Department of Linguistics statement regarding the CUPE 3902 strike

This statement was adapted from the statement written by the Department of Geography and Program in Planning.

In light of the strike by members of CUPE 3902 Unit 1, members of the Department of Linguistics came together this week to discuss how the possible labor action would affect our department as a whole. We are committed in Linguistics to creating a supportive and democratic culture. We want to make a collective statement for department members to sign that acknowledges the different roles we all occupy in the university as well as the challenges we face. Our statement is a commitment to supporting each other, improving the lives of people in our department, and keeping dialogue open in what has become a contentious and divisive labor action.

We write as scholars who value the space of scholarly inquiry, pedagogical engagement, and collaboration that we have cultivated in our department. We are employed in different positions and take on different roles in the university but we share a common commitment to supporting and enhancing academic integrity and scientific inquiry. We are teachers, students and staff who strive to foster a collaborative working and learning environment. We recognize that the mission of the university cannot be met without the work that all of us do on a daily basis.

Because of this, we maintain that the working conditions of Teaching Assistants, Course Instructors, and Sessional Instructors are vital to the scholarly integrity of the university. We recognize that Teaching Assistants and many Course Instructors are also graduate students whose work and working conditions are crucial to the university and for the future of intellectual work. Many are also international students who pay higher tuition; many are responsible for dependents; and those who are outside the funded cohort rely on paid teaching work to complete their degrees.

During the strike, we continue to sustain the open and inclusive departmental space (both material and virtual) and culture we have built. We are committed to maintaining open communication and working together to address the complex issues facing the university community.

Signed,
Susana Béjar, faculty
Marisa Brook
Jack Chambers, faculty
Joanna Chociej
Emily Clare
Ailís Cournane
Radu Craioveanu
María Cristina Cuervo, faculty
Derek Denis
Aaron Dinkin, faculty
Julianne Doner
Terence Dunn
Clarissa Forbes
Shayna Gardiner
Matt Hunt Gardner
Keffyalew Gebregziabher, post-doc
Ross Godfrey
Elaine Gold, faculty
Julie Goncharov
Meg Grant, faculty
Erin Hall
Michela Ippolito, faculty
Peter Jurgec, faculty
Arsalan Kahnemuyipour, faculty
Yoonjung Kang, faculty
Alexei Kochetov, faculty
Yu-Leng Lin
Paulina Lyskawa
Ruth Maddeaux
Diane Massam, faculty
Jessica Mathie
Emilia Melara
Dan Milway
Mercedeh Mohaghegh
Philip Monahan, faculty
Alexandra Motut
Naomi Nagy, faculty
Yining Nie
Iryna Osadcha
Ana Perez-Leroux, faculty
Keren Rice, faculty
James Smith
Christopher Spahr
Sali Tagliamonte, faculty
Rebecca Tollan
Nicholas Welch, post-doc