Such a stir on the picket lines today. Richard Lemm (English) and Simon Lloyd (Robertson Library) showed up in costume and spouted nonsense at the pickets, like “UPEI has the best working conditions since universities were founded in Bologna and Timbuctu. In fact, since Plato’s Academy in Athens.”
They also said UPEI’s infrastructure was “state of the art [and in] perfect repair” and the washrooms were so clean that any new doctors use the counters to perform heart surgery “and cook omelets on the floors.”
The jokes and one-liners were a great morale booster for everyone, especially those who heckled our two august FA members. And WOE! to the picketer who picked off Simon with a well-aimed snowball. In fact, Richard and Simon were so into their roles that someone mistook Richard – because of his fedora – for someone in upper management and requested that he be checked out.
The picket captains send us daily updates from the line. It’s great to hear that FA members from across campus are getting acquainted and having inter-disciplinary discussions. These are the moments and opportunities that administrations fear because they build collegiality and solidarity.
We also built collegiality and solidarity by welcoming the 13 flying/driving pickets from CAUT and university faculty associations from across Canada to the picket lines in PEI:
We greatly appreciate your presence and donations and your solidarity.
Once we picked them up at the airport, we gave them breakfast and sent them out to the line.
The super pickets were between 12:00 and 2:00. Everyone on that shift, including the flying/driving pickets and a few HQ folks, showed up at the main entrance to sing, chant, and wave their flags.
The sidewalks were so crowded that lines passed each other with their hand on the person in front of them.
Another successful super-picket. Next event: the rally outside the Coles Building at 4:30…
Solidarity.
Writer: Lee Ellen Pottie
