To the Editor:
If any of your readers are graduates of McGill University like me, they will have received a letter from university president Heather Munroe-Blum soliciting donations for the Alma Mater Fund.
I am appalled that she is so blithely asking for money from former students, given the current labour dispute at McGill. Alumni like me relied on the support staff during our time at McGill, but the administration is waging war on them, demanding cuts to pensions and the elimination of benefits. The 1,700 MUNACA employees have been without a contract since last year, and went out on strike September 1st.
The support staff at McGill is a vital part of the fabric of our school. McGill would not be the revered institution it is today without these hard-working men and women. Until Ms. Munroe-Blum starts treating her employees with respect, pays them a decent wage and resolves the strike, she will not see a dime from me.
Anne Simons, McGill University
