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"It is imperative that all those who are not working attend this meeting," says Neil Stewart, president of CUPE 793, who has made no secret of his strong feelings against Bill 136.
The bill, officially the Public Sector Transition Stability Act, changes the rules for labour relations in Ontario public sector agencies -- chiefly hospitals and municipal governments -- that are undergoing closings, mergers and major reorganizations. Unions say the rights they now have under Ontario labour law are being taken away, and a new "commission" will have the power to impose contracts and settle many disputes.
Creation of the new Dispute Resolution Commission "appears to be driven by the government's desire to cut spending and downsize government", says Jonathan Eaton, job law columnist for the Toronto Star. "The problem for the government is that independent arbitrators really are independent. They may hand down decisions on wages and benefits that deviate from the government's cost-cutting agenda. To get around this problem, authority will be pointed to government-appointed commissioners."
CUPE, which represents many employees in such agencies, is leading the opposition to Bill 136; right behind them are teachers' unions, who foresee exactly the same thing happening to them next. The day after Labour Day, Ontario premier Mike Harris met with a delegation of labour leaders, including Gord Wilson, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour. "I think there is potential" for coming to an agreement on some of the unions' objections to Bill 136, Harris said after the meeting. He promised to be in touch with the union leaders again in ten days. "Certainly we want to avoid a collision course."
Tonight's meeting of CUPE 793 starts at 7 p.m. at the Waterloo Inn.
Finally, a computing support group for people providing support. Many people in faculties spend a good portion of their time helping people with computers. This is a very challenging and stressful job. It involves not only knowing about existing systems, but also learning about new developments in the ever-changing computing industry. A new group called "FACCUS" is being formed to help.FACCUS is a group for people providing computing support in their faculties. This includes consulting office staff and those providing computing help in departmental offices. This group will be chaired by Paul Snyder and Bob Hicks in IST.
FACCUS will have a planning meeting at the start of every term and will organize monthly professional development seminars. These seminars will be demonstrations of new computing technology, and will focus on computing support topics. In addition, we will implement systems to facilitate information exchange, and problem support.
The first meeting will be on Thursday, September 11, from 1:30 - 3:00 pm in DC 1302. At this meeting we will would like to discuss future plans for FACCUS, get an update on Polaris and UW site licensed software. If you wish to attend this inaugural FACCUS meeting, please register by sending email to mlmartin@ist. If you cannot attend this meeting, but would like to be a FACCUS member, please send email indicating this to mlmartin@ist. If you would like more information about this group, please contact Paul Snyder (extension 3020) or Bob Hicks (extension 2194).
![[balloons]](http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca:80/info40th/balloon6.gif)
The concourse in South Campus Hall is festooned with balloons and
paper streamers this week, designed to beguile the students who are
standing in line to get into the bookstore. Along with the decorations
are posters reminding them that there's a big cafeteria upstairs, the
Festival Room, and things are indeed festive there, with celebrations
of UW's
40th anniversary.
The food services staff are dressed in -- well, I was going to say "in
their birthday suits", but in birthday hats and shirts, anyway, and
they're serving free cake all this week. Also by way of a 40th
anniversary celebration, fountain drinks in the Festival Room cost
just 40 cents all this term, and coffee in the UU's takeout, downstairs
in the SCH concourse, is discounted to 40 cents this week.
Just over from SCH, I notice the Graduate House sporting a big banner announcing "orientation week" for graduate students old and new. And what might we infer about today's grad students from the fact that the next largest word visible in the signs on the Grad House is "Disco"? Actually, that must have been promotion for last night's 25th Anniversary Disco Night. This evening it's "British Night", and tomorrow Movie Night (Jackie Chan's "First Strike"). Thursday brings "Harry Poser Show (with open stage)" and Friday a barbecue and the band The Lonesome Schoolboys.
A "big blow-out book bonanza" is promised today in the foyer of the Modern Languages building. It's sponsored by the mature student services office, partly to raise money for the mature student bursary fund, partly to help older students sell and buy used textbooks "at ridiculously low prices". All are welcome.
The co-op and career services department continues its series of seminars and workshops, with several "resumé technique" sessions today. Tomorrow, it's "resumé writing for co-op environmental studies", at 4:30 p.m. in Arts Lecture room 105. ("Regular students are also welcome.")
Ron Ianni, president of the University of Windsor for the past 13 years, died Saturday at the age of 62. He had been ill for some time -- Lou Gehrig's disease -- and announced several months ago that he would leave office early. Ross Paul, now of Laurentian University, is to become president at Windsor in 1998; meanwhile Gordon Wood, a former Windsor vice-president, is acting president.
Meanwhile, also at Windsor, the dean of engineering, Hoda ElMaraghy, resigned Friday. An internal report, published last year by the Windsor Star, described the engineering faculty as "dysfunctional . . . polarized" over her leadership, and faculty members voted overwhelmingly to ask that she be reviewed.
CAR
Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
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and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca --
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