Kevin Milligan

I recently received an email from some graduate students at the University of Toronto asking for advice drawn from my experience from 1999-2000 with the Teaching Assistant strike by CUPE 3902 at U. of T. Below is an edited version of my response.

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I was sorry to hear that 3902 is out on strike again. I know that most members just want to get a good deal and get back to work.

In 1999/2000 I was the CUPE 3902 steward for the Economics Department and I captained a picket line for the duration of the strike. Throughout the process, I was quite vocal, within the union, about the need to be realistic about the negotiations–while aiming for the stars is certainly romantic, most successful unions improve their members’ lives through incremental gains.  This didn’t make me very popular within certain circles of the union, but I was there to represent economics TAs, not be a popular student politician.

During the strike, U. of T. made a new offer and a promise to implement a guaranteed funding package for four years for all Ph.D. students. These packages were already very standard for graduate programs in the US, but U. of T.’s would be the first in Canada. Within the union, some wanted to hold out until we had ‘made back’ all the earnings we had lost during the strike; others wanted to hold out for free tuition. In my view, it was time to declare victory and move on. I helped to organize the ‘yes’ movement to accept the recommendation of the bargaining committee, culminating in a lively, packed meeting at Convocation Hall. The assembly voted to send the agreement to a paper-ballot vote, which then passed. The strike of 2000 was over.

I see one very big difference between the situation in 2000 and the one confronting CUPE 3902 members now. In 2000, we were locked out simultaneous to our strike. This made our experience very different. There was very little enthusiasm for the strike in the Economics Department in 2000. Most students believed (in my view correctly) that the professors wanted the best graduate program we could have, which meant a strong funding package. For many of us, the idea that the University was our adversary or ‘enemy’ was hard to sustain. On top of that, many economists, whether by nature or nurture, tend to place high value on autonomous choice.

Putting these things together, I can imagine a lot of Economics TAs in 2000 would have found it attractive to ignore the strike and continue working. However, because of the lockout in 2000, we never had to make this choice. In the present strike, I’m sure that being confronted with a choice about whether to go back to work makes the situation substantially more difficult for everyone.

I learned three important lessons during the strike of 2000 that I’ve carried with me since. Because of the differences with the current strike, I don’t know how relevant my experiences will be. But, I will share these lessons just in case some find it helpful.

First, although I disagreed with some of the decisions made by the union, I respected the decisions of the majority (and the elected leadership). I found that walking the 6am picket line every morning in temperatures of -20 degrees bought me a voice within the union. The lesson: when you respect a democratic decision, even (or especially) when you disagree, you will find people more willing to listen to you next time around.

Second, I learned during the strike that TAs in many departments were much worse off than Economics. In Economics, TA and RA work was plentiful, and employment prospects post-degree are quite good. This is not so elsewhere in the University. Understanding this better made me appreciate why others felt so strongly about the need to strike and viewed the University in a different light.

Third, Mikael Swayze (CUPE 3902 staff in my day; now works at UofT Labour Relations) often said to me, “Kevin, we have to remember that strikes always end.” With that, he was saying that you need to think about what the ending looks like, how to build a path to it, and how you and your peers will look back on your actions during the strike. This mindset served me very well during the strike, and in many situations since.

As a final note, I’d like to address the particular concern raised in the email–whether respecting the strike would have negative consequences for a Ph.D. student’s career. I am very sure the answer is ‘no’, both from my experience then and my 15 years of experience since as an economics professor. Whether an economics Ph.D. student decides to participate or not participate in the strike will almost surely have no impact on their academic careers.

The CUPE 3902 strike of 2000 was intense for all of us who were involved, and I’m sure it feels the same to you now. I hope you get a good settlement soon and everyone can get back to work.

Good luck!

Kevin