Graduate students say: Graduate studies deans are sending the wrong message
by holding annual conference behind a picket line

TORONTO, Nov. 3 /CNW/ - Graduate students who were scheduled to attend the annual conference of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) were surprised and disappointed to see that conference organisers decided not to move or postpone the conference, despite the fact that the hotel's workers are on strike.

"Many university administrations have recently been or will soon be in bargaining with academic and non-academic staff, so it is very distressing that graduate deans would show such disregard for workers' rights and fair bargaining," said Kimalee Phillip, Chairperson of the National Graduate Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students. "This decision means that the voices of those who choose to respect the picket line-including a number of graduate student representatives-will be absent from a national conference on graduate studies."

The hotel workers at the Delta Chelsea have been on strike since October 27 over job security, safe workloads, fair wages and workplace dignity. Many of the over 500 workers are new immigrants to Canada who are struggling to make ends meet. In response to a 95 percent strike mandate, the hotel management has hired replacement workers rather than address the workers' concerns and negotiate a fair contract. The workers have asked patrons of the Delta Chelsea to respect their picket line and move their business elsewhere.

"Many other organisations have changed meeting sites in recognition of the strike but the CAGS Executive Committee has chosen to ignore the worker's request and go ahead with the conference," said Pat Imbeau, Deputy Chairperson of the National Graduate Caucus. "CAGS has even refused to refund expenses for those who choose to respect the picket line."

A number of student representatives will join the picket lines in front of Toronto's Delta Chelsea Hotel today at 2:00 p.m. to greet conference participants and hand out leaflets explaining why they cannot, in good conscience, attend the conference.

"As graduate students, many of us are unionised employees at our respective universities and we aren't prepared to thumb our noses at these struggling hotel workers," said Phillip. "Proceeding with an important conference on graduate studies without the perspective of many student participants is unthinkable."

The National Graduate Caucus of the Canadian Federation of Students unites more than 70,000 master's and doctoral students from universities across Canada.

For further information:

Kimalee Phillip, National Graduate Caucus: 613-261-3231 (cell)
Joel Duff, Ontario Organiser: 416-925-3825or416-707-0349 (cell)