photo is from a summer 2025 march for palestine (thirty-five mm film)
I’m writing this one early in the morning. It’s six thirty two as I type this out. As you may know, I’m in week five of my BCGEU strike (lengths vary by ministry, branch, and division, with some people on strike for as long as eight weeks at this point). The reason I mention that is because it has wreaked havoc on my daily routine.
I’ve found myself with an extra four hours each day, as we only picket in four hour shifts, but I’ve squandered it!
So last night I decided I’d go to bed early, shortly after ten pm, and I’d set an alarm for six am and get back into my normal routine. I’d go to the gym, make breakfast, have a coffee, and then head to the picket line. But then I volunteered to help out a little early to get things set up, which meant that even if I woke up and immediately and went straight to the gym, I wouldn’t have time for breakfast and a shower. And I find both of those to be essential in the morning, especially after working out.
Anyway, I ended up doing morning pages! Are you familiar? You write three pages of anything as soon as you wake up. It’s kind of like journaling but with less purpose. It’s like a creativity warm up. And it has to be on paper. You can’t do morning pages on a computer. I’m not sure exactly why, can’t remember that chapter from The Artist’s Way, but I definitely agree with the sentiment. Too easy to edit your words on the screen and you’re more connected to the words when they come out in your own handwriting maybe?
I’ve never been on strike before. I’ve voted to strike, when I was a member of SFU’s Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU), and they did end up going on strike later that year, but I had already graduated and wasn’t working as a Teaching Assistant anymore. I had to watch that one from the sidelines.
For a first strike, this one’s a big one. I was chatting with a friend on the picket line last week about the fact that, while it didn’t feel like we were doing much more than just standing around or walking in circles, the strike could have a profound impact. For instance, I think it helped connect members to the union in a positive way. No one is particularly happy about being off work, but everyone at my site seems to understand the importance of what we’re doing.
For an example of that, there hasn’t been a shop steward at my building the entire time I’ve worked there. Since we went on strike, several people have expressed interest in stepping up into that role.
In another example, one of my colleagues was telling me the other day that she didn’t know what a picket line was until going on strike. Now she knows that it’s her responsibility as a union member not to cross another union’s picket lines.
I also think this is going to be pretty catastrophic for the NDP when the next election rolls around. The Green Party has been really inspiring with their new leader and the BC Conservatives seem a little chaotic at the moment, losing another MLA this week.
Anyway, it’s interesting times again. Maybe the strike will have a big impact, maybe it’ll be something we all sort of forget about until the next time it comes up.