text: A report on UofT's donation campaign needs to be put into context with the administration's hard line position in bargaining with their teaching assistants (TAs), who do the bulk of the work on campus. The university tried to surpress the TAs being represented by their union, the CUPE teaching assistant's union, on account of the fact that the union does not cover the TAs activities as PhD students. U of T claimed that the TAs were bargaining for fair remuneration in their funding packages as students, not in their TA wages (which make up part of this package). Seeing as doctoral candidates have no other organized bargaining voice than their TA union, this is tantamount to the university trying to head off any opposition to their position. This position was an effort to keep the funding package at $15,000 a year. What is the philanthropy being spent on if not things like paying the employees of the uni a decent wage? Maybe Meric Gertler's salary (= 30 PhD wages / year)