UOttawa Support Staff on Strike

Some 1,300 support staff at UOttawa are now officially on strike.  These are administrative folks, like advising staff, lab assistants, counselling people, etc.  Their functions are vital to the operations of the university, especially one as large as UOttawa.  Apparently the union had been negotiating with administration for 19 months!  Sticking point?  The university wanted to cut back on the staff's medical benefits.  The union balked, of course, especially in the current Covid environment.  Doesn't seem like there will be a compromise any time soon.

As you know, I support unions.  I think strength in numbers is the only way the underprivileged can hope to have fair bargains with those in charge.  Having said that, the university is offering the staff the maximum pay increase allowed by provincial law -- how does 1% sound?  On that, the university's hands are tied.  Just think though, for someone making, say 100 a year, a 1% raise can buy a pretty nice night on the town.  For a typical staff, a 1% raise is probably worth, well, maybe a Big Mac dinner.  Personally, I am always of the opinion that those at the top should sacrifice more to help those at the bottom, if nothing more than to build morale.  If the administration folks who are all making six figures will take no pay raise, maybe that money would more than offset the cut in medical benefits for the staff.  See that happening?

Not in a million years.

It's the same shit everywhere.  I still remember the time at Etown..  anyway, no point bringing up ancient history.

Gramsci was right.  Those below have to shore up their resources to counter the hegemony from the elites.

See, I am actually quite pleased, in general, with how UOttawa is run.  I think they run a fair ship.  They've had their criticisms etc., but from my vantage point, the university could be in much worse hands (just think, any of the Etown administration you know).  But at this time of the pandemic, with so much economic uncertainty, those running the school should show some leadership and not take away from those at the bottom.  If anything, they should cut their own benefits so those below don't have to.  That, to me, is what real leadership is about.  And on that, I'd like to share with you a brief story about this guy... Horrocks.

Horrocks was a British general, pretty senior corps commander. His headquarters was a tank.  He ate the same rations his troops ate.  He was always on the battlefield with his troops, suffering the same shit as they were.  Indeed, he was shot multiple times, including one right through the chest by an aircraft cannon.  And survived and went back to the front.  How could his troops not go that extra mile for a commander like that?

A lot of these university and college administrators have so much to learn about leadership.  Sad to say, really good university and college administrators are so rare.  Seven years at St. Norbert, and fourteen at Etown.  I have not seen a single good one.  Sigh.  As Walter Cronkite used to say, "that's not news, but that, too, is reality."