Brandon University Strike - A Student's Opinion

I have been reading a lot of comments about the Brandon University strike. There have been many that say that if the professors don’t like their jobs, quit or move out of province. My question is this: Given that they have put many years into education, self-sacrifice, and working as a professor, why shouldn’t they get paid better wages with better benefits? It doesn’t matter that they are professors, the same thing could be said about any professional career.

There are those who say that their kids are the ones being punished. Let’s put this in a different but relevant light: If your child goes on to complete university, works hard his/her life at something they are passionate about for many years, what happens when their employer decides that they don’t deserve to earn more? Are you going to give them the same advice that you are giving to the professors now? The answer to that is most likely going to be a resounding no. You will tell your child to stand up and fight for what they believe in. You will tell them that they deserve everything and more because of what they have done in the past to get to where they are now.

Yes, money has been lost during this strike. But, we cannot continually blame the professors. There are two sides to the negotiations. The administration also needs to be held accountable for what is going on.  The call for refunds on tuition for the fall term is an effort in futility. Do you really think that the university is going to give back this money when they refuse to increase salaries for their employees? They are looking at everything from a dollar value – students included. If we were anything more than a dollar sign to the university administration, they would be offering students a refund for lost tuition based on lost class time. It seems that they have forgotten that students are not rich people who can afford to just throw away money.

The general public has had much to say about how things should be dealt with. However, instead of just writing it on a message board or local website, why not do something? Flipping the striking professors when driving by, telling them to quit their jobs, saying they should be fired and others hired, or, in one case, rioting, is not the answer. The students who are camping out at the university are doing something positive. They are making a stand in their own peaceful way. Some people think it is a waste of time but it isn’t. Some think that they are only doing this to garner attention which is true. They want people to know that there are actual people being ignored, being hurt by all of this. I fully support them for what they are doing. I cannot take part in the camp out as I have a family at home that I must take care of.

Personally, I have been blessed with awesome professors. They are passionate about their work and do all they can to prepare for each class. They not only care about what we are learning in class but they also care about us as human beings. We are not just statistics to them. I support the professors of Brandon University for all that they have done and all that they are doing.

That is all I have to say for now. Thank you!

Phoenix R. Eastwood, Brandon University Student

Brandon, MB

---

Great idea! Let’s force the faculty back to work. While we are at it, let’s force Dr. Poff to come out from hiding behind the administration’s lawyer and say what she wants to say. In my humble opinion, I believe that all of the communiqué released by the administration is actually written by their legal team. If she actually cared about the students, SHE would make a public appearance/statement that demonstrates what SHE thinks and feels about the entire situation. To me, whenever I read about the term not being cancelled, tuition not being refunded, etc., I see the administration looking like Scrooge McDuck and the students looking like money bags. J

Binding arbitration is not a good idea. Why force people into doing something that they are not willing to do voluntarily? Taking away their democratic rights doesn’t prove anything. Yes, the strike may be settled for now but things within the working environment will never be the same. Given that the strike has lasted this long, things may never be same regardless. Prospective students may choose to go elsewhere, by their choice or influenced by others. Current students may transfer out. The university will lose (correct spelling, by the way!) a lot of money. Faculty members may choose to look for employment elsewhere which would limit the variety of courses available at the university. This, too, will cause the loss of a lot of potential income for the university.

Have any of you, those who have been giving their advice and recommendations via the Internet and newspapers, actually gone down to strike headquarters and talked with the faculty? I have. I have visited with several members of the faculty, some I knew from courses I have taken and some I have just met. They all want to be back in the classrooms. They MISS their students. I know some of you will say that if they really miss their students and want to be back in the classrooms, they will say to heck with the union, cross the picket lines, and continue teaching the students. That may be the consensus among most people but they cannot simply do this. There is a principle involved. When you are getting, pardon my less-than-politically-correct language, screwed over, you tend to fight for what you believe in. This is something I truly believe in – standing up for what you believe in regardless of what others think.

Many of you believe that the faculty is nothing but greedy people who want more money than they deserve. As I had previously mentioned in another letter, they deserve every cent they earn and more. If you believe they shouldn’t be paid as much as they are or as much as they are asking for, then my recommendation would be for them to teach in a different manner. This would include not doing any extra research, not compiling notes and handouts for students, and only reading text from the required textbooks for the class. Nothing more, nothing less.

It is not difficult to keep up with the courses while the faculty is on strike. Instead of spending your time freaking out about “when is the strike going to be over”, or “when are we going back to class”, or whatever, spend your time doing your own research. The Internet isn’t just there for Facebook, ebrandon, or whatever social networking site you vent your rage on. There are plenty of websites available, 24/7, for you to use to help you understand what you are learning about. It just takes a little more time and a little more self-determination.

I realize that I am biased towards the faculty and I do not apologize for this. My mother is a teacher and I know the amount of “out-of-classroom” work she does to prepare. This does not change for professors. There are times when a student will ask a question that the professor does not know the answer to and that professor will take the time out of their personal life to find out the answer. There are times when a student may have personal issues that are affecting their academic performance and they may discuss them with the professor. Usually the professor will do all that they can to assist the student in whatever way they can.

You are taking out your frustrations on the faculty because they are making themselves seen. They are not hiding out in an office, “unavailable” to answer questions. By going out on the strike line, being subjected to the daily abuse by those who do not fully understand what is at stake, they are demonstrating their integrity, their courage, and their personal and collective convictions. I applaud them for this. They are out there – you are sitting behind your computer monitor. What positive things are you doing to help rectify this situation?

I admit that I could be out there doing more but I have a family to take care of. I am also spending my “free-time” reading my textbooks, making notes, and researching things I do not understand. I want to be prepared when classes do resume. Yes, there are times when I am reading my textbooks that I think to myself, “am I wasting my time? What if classes are cancelled?” This does not deter me though. Even if classes are cancelled, I will have still learned about something that I wouldn’t have otherwise. There is much to be learned from self-study. You can learn to apply it to everyday life. Things that have happened in your life may help you to better understand what you are reading. I realize that there are some courses whereby you cannot learn your course material without in-class instruction. However, you can still do extra research on your own to supplement what you are learning from your books.

So, yes, call me a union sympathizer, call me biased, call me whatever you want to call me. I support the faculty in all of their endeavours. I thank them for what they have done and what they are doing. I also hope and pray that once this strike is over, they don’t leave. We are lucky to have such wonderful, caring PEOPLE that teach at Brandon University!

Thank you for reading!

Phoenix R. Eastwood

Brandon, MB

P.S. After reading a lot of different posts on various sites, I hope the strike is settled soon because the amount of spelling mistakes in those posts indicates to me that many people need to get their education back on track! J The correct spelling is LOSE, not LOOSE and LOSING not LOOSING. Have a nice day!