Issued by the YUFA  Information Officer & Bargaining Support Subcommittee cupe1281

I am very concerned about the profound sense of alienation existing between faculty, students, staff and the administration at York. I believe we are experiencing a profound lack of leadership in our administration and a tremendous gulf exists between the faculty (and their understanding of the purposes, goals, and future of York) and the vision of the future being drawn by the Administration. (Lynne Angus, Arts)

Chemicals and bacteria released in heating and cooling. Asbestos. In addition, being in the washrooms is positively dangerous. (works in McLaughlin, Osgoode, Schulich)

There is a chilly climate for all equity groups in my department that no one is willing to address seriously. It wears out myself and my colleagues.

Deterioration at Glendon is everywhere evident (except on the grounds). Toilets and sinks leak; the 'drinking' water from fountains is largely unpotable; my office is much too hot all year round; my classrooms are filthy with chalk dust, litter, etc.; students have few places of beauty and sophistication to appreciate.

It needs to be stressed that being a cutting-edge research worker is quite simply exhausting! When the administration is SO weak and bad this negatively impacts one's ability to do almost anything as well as one can.

Cold and stuffy classroom; from time to time bizarre fumes affect the whole building. (Schulich)

My classroom had no air coming into it - we were groggy after two hours and had headaches. Formaldehyde from labs seeps into stairwells and elevators. Water spots on ceiling tile lead to mould. (Lumbers)

(Written beside item on stress:) Heart attack and bypass surgery.

We should have a greater commitment to integrated pest management to minimize hazards to people and organisms used in research.

I've had several bouts of Repetitive Strain Injury from job-related computer use (elbow, wrist, back, and shoulder) and the chairs, desks and keyboards on campus are extremely NON-ergonomic and aggravate these problems.

Very inadequate snow removal - especially in parking lots - quite dangerous for those with knee/back/hip balance problems.

Many rooms have no windows and the lights are fluorescent (flickering). This light and air quality exhausts students and they lose attention after an hour in a three hour class. (Centre for Fine Arts)

I find mice droppings. (Founders)

My main classroom is impossible to use with the door shut because of poor ventilation. Open, the noise from passersby is disturbing. (Schulich)

Organic chemistry labs deal with hazardous materials; safety is insufficient. (Petrie)

I have a recurring problem requiring crutches. There are never any handicapped parking spaces available - all filled, all with valid stickers. Once I could not meet a class because I could not walk that far.

Since you include mental stress in your health & safety list, I'd like to point out that there are no, or few, quiet spots at York where you can sit with a coffee or drink and read or talk quietly.

Cars race from the entrance to the ramp up to the parking lot across from Seneca - after several letters to the parking office, there were speed bumps added to the ramp. They were removed, pushed to the side, within hours of being placed there. Since our parking fees are continually going up, I don't see why conditions keep getting worse.

Personal security is of concern. Being told by my Associate Dean to have a cell phone at exams as a way of being safer - who pays for my cell phone? (Erin Hewitt, Atkinson)

Need more lights at night - campus is too dark!

There are still unsafe chairs, uncomfortable computer workstations, and very crowded room conditions at times. (Lumbers)

I don't have many health/safety concerns, but I recognize the validity of such concerns in others. (Bob Drummond, now Dean of Arts)

The working culture of York generates a collective stress for all of us. I experience this not as a simply 'personal' or "happening to me" thing. It creates a shared sense that, even as we try to assume our own level of responsibility, we pass on responsibilities to others that are stressful for them.

The fume extractor in CFT 104 does not seem to extract adequately. (Centre for Film and Theatre)

York Hall has only one small elevator, some stairs are crumbling.

Are rooms with Xeroxing machines properly ventilated? Especially later in the afternoon, the air is very poor of oxygen and students tend to doze off. (Ross)