The rally that was held at Grenfell to mark the end of the first week of the strike was a great success. The sweet music referred to was provided at the rally by several faculty members, some with doctorates and some without, some long-term employees and some just here on a short contract. Their musical offerings enlivened a cold and dreary day.
Over seventy people attended and that number included most of the faculty members on strike. They were joined by representatives of the Grenfell CUPE workers. Troy Giles of CUPE addressed the gathering and offered the support of the CUPE staff at the college. The staff at the college have been very supportive. They have brought food and coffee to the lines, but more importantly they have all either parked off campus or slowed down and greeted us before going on to the campus. Many of the staff, unionized and non-unionized, have spent time on the line, in often-inclement weather, as a show of solidarity.
Several representatives of the City of Corner Brook CUPE members were also there to offer their support. They came through a long and bitter strike this year, and their spokesman addressed the need for public sector unions to support each other in the struggle to achieve fair wages and decent working conditions. That they came to offer their support at a rally held late on Friday and in cold temperatures and rain was deeply appreciated.
Jade Mahoney, President of the Grenfell Council of the Students' Union, also spoke and pledged the support of GCSU. The GCSU have come out publicly in support of MUNFA, and I noted in my remarks that it takes courage to take a side, as it is far easier to sit on the fence. We recognize that this was a carefully considered decision made only after meetings with both sides at Grenfell on Wednesday. The GCSU recognize the issues of fairness and equity involved in this strike, and support MUNFA in its efforts to get a better settlement for all its members and the "sessional" employees.
Partners and friends, some with their children, also showed up to show their support for the striking workers. Obviously, the fears and doubts involved in any strike are not restricted to just to the striking workers, but are also felt by their families. I hope that these stresses will be short-lived and that the gains achieved will make them worthwhile.
I also acknowledge the efforts of the academic administrators at the college to maintain the goodwill that we will need once the strike is over and we get back to regular activities. They have shown that good working relationships are important enough at Grenfell that both sides have managed to avoid any of the destructive rhetoric that can be so apparent during strikes.
Finally, I should note that, to my knowledge, not one member of the bargaining unit at Grenfell has crossed the picket lines. Those few at Grenfell who are opposed in principle to the strike have chosen to respect the picket lines. We respect their position. We share with them the hope that the strike is over soon and we can get back to the job of teaching our students.
This afternoon we are having a social here at the Rec Plex at 5:00 pm. The Rec Plex bar will be open and we plan to provide a few pizzas with a chili donation by Mary Secord. This will be our second event since the beginning of the strike.
Other than that, all picketers are here for duty, with the exception of those who are on sabbatical (off campus) or who are away on conference travel, etc. Spirits are still high and support is still there. The shelters are still intact, in spite of a bit of wind, and the barrel fires are still keeping the picketers warm. Each picket line is always in contact with strike HQ via cellular phone and we try to provide refreshments at least once per picket shift.
Quite a number of people have been supporting the strike with donations of food (soup, donuts, chili, rolls, etc.). Today we had fresh home-made sticky buns for our break. Yesterday, a woman stopped her car at the main entrance picket line and offered the picketers $10 to buy coffee to keep warm. Ron Richards has the story on that one!