|
|
AROUND THE QUADS
Some Graduate Students Strike in Spring
Members of Graduate Students Employees United, which is seeking
union recognition, went on strike late in the spring semester, forcing
some classes to be moved or cancelled. On May 16, GSEU called a
“strike hiatus” rather than picket Class Day and Commencement
ceremonies “as a sign of good faith,” according to GSEU
spokesman David Carpio, although he said GSEU did so “with
the understanding that if the University proves intransigent …
we might go on strike again sometime in the next academic year,”
according to Spectator.
In a statement, the University said that more than 90 percent of
teaching assistants did not strike and that all graduating seniors
would receive their grades in time for Commencement, although non-graduating
students might experience delays in receiving their grades. The
statement noted that all students would receive credit for academic
work completed during the spring semester.
More than two years ago, the National Labor Relations Board ruled
that teaching and research assistants were University employees
and therefore entitled to union representation. Those student-employees
voted on the unionization question in March 2002, but the outcome
of that vote is unknown. The University appealed the NLRB’s
ruling, and the NLRB has not yet dealt with the appeal. GSEU called
on the University to drop its appeal before it called the strike
in April, but the University said it would let the appeal process
take its course.
In April, the University set up a Web page for strike information:
www.columbia.edu/cu/news/04/04/gsu_strike.html.
|
|
Untitled Document
|