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In article <8831@watcgl.waterloo.edu> mdhutton@lily.waterloo.edu (Mike Hutton) writes:
>What is different at U of T from say, here?  

Probably a combination of a less cooperative administration and more
militant TAs.

>1. TA's are grad students.

Yup.  CUEW local <whatever> used to be the Graduate Assistants' Assocation.

>As such they 'get paid' to go to school.

If "get paid" means "receive money", that depends very much on which
department they're in.  Some believe in supporting their students directly.
Some do not, meaning that working, e.g. TAing, is the only source of funds
for non-scholarship grad students.

>2. TA's work a fixed number of hours, units, what have you, and 
>	as thus are obligated only to a fixed portion of the underfunding
>	crisis...

That is the theory.  It is reported that in practice, unpaid overtime is
common; it is understandable that TAs would be reluctant to protest such
abuses to people who also control their educational future.

>Am I wrong?  Are there 'career TA's ' at Toronto that have nothing to
>do with the academic process?  ...

Not that I know of.

>Do I really have to join a union (bleagh!!!) to continue my education?

Only if you're going to be TAing, although that is often considered
a part of your education.

>If I do go to Toronto, will I be subject to some kind of painful
>existance (other than the odd all-nighter)...

Apart from the run-of-the-mill U of T pains -- this is a big university,
and is famous for its contempt for its students -- there shouldn't be
any significant problem in Computer Science.  If you were in, say, the
English department, that might be different.  Computer Science treats
its students pretty well, and in particular, is one of the "direct
financial support" departments.
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