23 September 2009

Three Developments







Was awarded a graduate assistantship with a mix of GTA and GRA work. My GTA work to be in/for the Mi'Kmaq Maliseet Institute within the UNB Faculty of Education—the only centre for Aboriginal education studies in the Atlantic region—editing undergrad Aboriginal student-written course units and lesson plans for use in Aborigial classrooms.

Zap! I was Unionized

Big surprise! Learned during Grad Orientation Week that as a Teaching and/or Research Assistant at the University of New Brunswick I am automatically a member of the Union of Graduate Student Workers, University of New Brunswick Fredericton and Saint John, Public Service Alliance of Canada Local 60550. Union card to come. Collective bargaining has been underway since certification. The 2009 Annual General Meeting is scheduled for 5–7 PM, Wednesday, 7 October 2009 in the Alumni Memorial Building, UNB–Fredericton.
24 09 2009 NOTE: Anonymous wrote that I am automatically in the bargaining unit [meaning, Graduate Student Workers] and that I'd still have to sign up to join the union [Union of Graduate Student Workers]. Don't know whose nits they think they're picking but they're not mine [I did sign up; I am awaiting my card, as stated above] Don't you just love anonymous!?!
Uphill from Poet's Corner

Base camp may be at the foot of the hill but I've been given a desk in an office above the monument's shadow in the valley. In theory I could create my own shadow but not from within the office more akin to groundhog burrow. Used to be a janitor's (now called by the euphemism "Facilities Management") room off a stairwell with empty key box and three fire extinguishers, yes, three. Has an overhead, south-facing, curtained window that can't easily be seen out of. Share it with two other grad students: one is currently teaching full-time @ UPEI (but still "has" a desk here?); the other uses the office as the video-edit suite for his research work. I need to use extension cords to get electricity to my desk.

loc: broken mapp desk
temp: 15 C
sound: David Bowie Outside

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It is the bargaining unit of which you are an automatic member, not the union. To be a union member one must actually join.