[opirgyork] TODAY 13th Annual Pow Wow: Knowledge In Sharing Stories Conference + Undergrads for CUPE3903 Info!

Fri Mar 6 04:31:03 PST 2015

Hey Folks!

Exciting stuff happening - the 13th annual Pow Wow events are underway-
please come out- there is an amazing line-up! And people are mobilizing
around the strike, and undergrads and allies are showing their support for
3903 and 3902 at U of T! OPIRG is here to support you, supporting the
unions! So please get involved and stay in touch!! For the duration of the
CUPE 3903 strike, OPIRG York board and staff will continue to fill our
mandate, continue to do work in the community, and continue to work on
social and environmental justice issues, but will not be crossing picket
lines. Please see our solidarity statement below as well as ASAY's
solidarity statement.

*YorkU Undergrads for CUPE 3903* -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/342473285945776 --> ALSO see info below and
get involved!
*For A Better York - CUPE 3903 Info for Students*:
https://www.facebook.com/StudentsForABetterYork

*Statement from CUPE re. Pow Wow: **CUPE 3903 endorses the Aboriginal
Students' Association at York's 13th Annual Pow Wow and Gathering happening
on March 5th, 6th, and 7th. We would like to thank them for their statement
of support for our fight for fairer working conditions, and would like to
wish them success in their events this year, under the theme of Breaking
Inter-generational Trauma. CUPE3903 is working to facilitate the smooth
operation of the all of the Pow Wow events as best we can.*

-OPIRG York
********

*Friday, March 6th -4th Annual Knowledge In Sharing Stories Conference*
*Breaking Intergenerational Trauma: Motivation, Inspiration, Dedication
from the 7th Generation*
*Time: 10AM-4PM, @ Moot Court, Osgoode Hall*

*SCHEDULE*

*Time*

*Speaker*

*10:00am – 10:15am*

*Welcome/Opening Prayer/Poetry *

Karissa John, Blu Waters, Rosalind Rundle

*10:15am – 10:35am*

*Journey and collection of Poems*

Melissa Compton

*10:35am – 10:55am*

*The Story of my Residential School Experience*

Cliff Standingready

*10:55am – 11:15am*

*Original Instructions: Healing Through the Reclamation of Culture*

Lisa Boivin

*11:15am – 11:35am*

*7 Poems, 7 Generations*

Jamie Lee Morin

*11:35am – 11:55am*

*From Homeless Addict, to the Halls of Academia*

Jesse Thistle

*11:55am – 12:15pm*

*Word on the Street*

Krystal Froman

*12:15pm – 12:35pm*

*Storytelling & Film Sharing*

Michael Keshane

*12:35pm – 12:45pm*

*Morning Q&A*

*12:45pm – 1:00pm*

*Birthing the Two-Spirit Flag*

Fallon Simard, artist & Blu Waters

*1:00pm – 1:30pm*

*Lunch*

NVP Artist – artwork

*1:30pm – 2:15pm*

*A Spoken Word Piece*

Kahsenniyo Tahnee Williams

*2:15pm – 3:00pm*

*Empowerment & The Identity of Being Indian in the 21st Century*

Nataanii Means

*3:00pm – 3:45pm*

*Survive & Thrive*

Shawnee Talbot

*3:45pm – 3:55pm*

*Q & A with Kahsenniyo, Shawnee & Nataanii*

*3:55pm – 4:00pm*

*Closing Remarks, Closing Prayer*

Karissa John, ASAY, & Blu Waters

[image: Inline image 1]

*Saturday, March 7th - Pow Wow, with Gala following*
*12-4:30pm, Vari Hall, York **University*

[image: Inline image 1]

*********************
*YorkU Undergrads for CUPE 3903*

Join group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/342473285945776/

We are a group of undergraduate students creating a collective in support
of CUPE 3903.We must show the administration that many undergraduate
students are in support of and united in struggle with CUPE 3903. TAs,
graduate assistants, research assistants and course instructors are the
lifeline of this university – they make our education possible. Their
working conditions impact our learning conditions.

Let’s show our support for their fight for living wages, job security, and
better teaching and learning conditions for everyone. Show the
administration that we refuse to accept or support the exploitation of
teaching staff and graduate students!

Join the picket lines in solidarity! The more people who are mobilized in
support, the faster and more successfully the strike will end.

Any undergraduate students that would like to get involved in
strike/solidarity action with CUPE 3903, please contact us at
undergrads4cupe at gmail.com

Follow us on twitter for updates and action plans @undergrads4cupe

*********************

*OPIRG York Strike Solidarity Statement with CUPE 3903 & 3902*

*March 3rd, 2015.*
*(View online + please share here: bit.ly/3903support
<http://bit.ly/3903support>)*

The staff and board at OPIRG York extend our solidarity and support for
CUPE 3903 and CUPE 3902 who are on strike for accessible education for all,
a fair and equitable work place, and increased job security. The university
administration has failed to bargain in good faith, and has forced the
unions to strike for these demands. It is the Administration who we must
direct our attention towards and ask that they return to bargaining in good
faith, and demand that they put accessible education first.

Currently many members of 3903 (many of whom are also students) live on
wages below the poverty line, are asked to reapply for their jobs year
after year, and are given class sizes that exceed an ideal learning space
for students. The fight for decent wages, job security and a cap on class
sizes is a fight for students to have a better learning environment. It is
not just a CUPE 3903 fight; it is one that we all should demand from York’s
administration, and is a fight for decent worker’s rights.

For example York has outright refused to add LGBTQ to their equity policy,
which is something 3903 has demanded. The members of 3903 & 3902 deserve
our support. We stand in solidarity with CUPE and it’s membership and
encourages students, community members, faculty and staff to join 3903 and
3902 on the picket line in their demands for accessible education for all.

For the duration of the strike, OPIRG York board and staff will continue to
fill our mandate, and continue to do work in the community, and continue to
work on social and environmental justice issues, but will not be crossing
picket lines.

*To read more about CUPE’s demands and ways to support:*
http://betteryork.ca/

*More information and to contact OPIRG York:*
http://opirgyork.ca
opirgyork at gmail.com, opirgyorkboard at gmail.com.

*********************

* Official Announcement from the Aboriginal Students Association at York
Re. 13th Annual Pow Wow*

We at ASAY support the faculty and Contract Instructor's and Teacher's
Assistant’s strike; however, it comes at a critical time - Pow Wow time -
which could reduce numbers and attendees to some of our events. We are
meeting with CUPE to work out the details, stay tuned. No matter, THE SHOW
WILL GO ON. That aside, we stand with CUPE and understand their position.
Contract Instructors and TAs do need to eat and pay bills, we understand
that, and they can't do it on the ridiculous wages they get; the university
needs to pay them what they are worth and stop treating them like academic
general laborers or peons. And if the university needs to find money to do
so, dip into the higher pay salaries of upper echelon university exec's and
bureaucrats – a couple thousand out of a few $100 000 salaries won’t hurt
anyone. It's a matter of priority and good business practice: YorkU pay
your Contract Lecturer and TA employees fairly, give them job security, and
treat them like the educated, vital teachers they are.

*********************

-- 

-OPIRG York
--
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724
opirg at yorku.ca

*There are many ways to get involved at OPIRG. Apply to be a working
group: **http://opirgyork.ca/working-groups
<http://opirgyork.ca/working-groups>*
Contact victoria at opirgyork.ca for further information.

*We also have two collectives: *PrOPIRGanda Radio and the Radical Reading
Room. You can contact us about ways to get involved in these collectives:
opirgyork at gmail.com.

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