Grad Students Shut Down Classes, Construction at U Mich

[Marc Bousquet]

crossposted from http://howtheuniversityworks.com

The AFT-affiliated Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO) walked off the job at 5 am this morning, shutting down classes, construction sites, and loading docks at the University of Michigan, with the support of undergraduatesand union workers.





The goal of the two-day walkout was to get the attention of the administration during contract negotiations that had not been taking seriously the union's demand that teaching assistants earn a living wage in the Ann Arbor area, representing a one-time increase of over 9%, to be followed by regular cost-of-living increases.That demand appears to have succeeded, with the university requesting that bargaining re-commence.

GEO is one of the most successful graduate employee unions in the country with a long tradition of militant response to administrator intransigence, staging walkouts or work stoppages in 1987, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2002.

[Occulus]

1. Good for them.

I wish my union had teeth- I'm forbidden by law from going on strike.

[Recursion]

2. Universities were where unions started

Good to see this happening.

[enlightenment]

6. Just curious - could you expand on that statement? nt

[Recursion]

7. Faculty unions and student unions are the oldest western example of collective bargaining

The schools at Paris, Bologna, and Oxford became universitas when the faculty (in the first two cases) and the students (in the third case) asserted the right of collective bargaining and stoppages.

They are not, however, the oldest examples worldwide of collective bargaining: the Pyramids, for example, were built by unionized labor -- on the tomb of one of the union chiefs in Giza there is a record of how he successfully led a strike for more beer (they were paid in beer).

[enlightenment]

8. Thank you. Very interesting!

Could I presume on you to toss a few sources my way, when you get a chance?

[LisaM]

3. Sweet! Ann Arbor is probably one of the most expensive areas in Michigan right now

Hail to the Workers!

[bluestateguy]

4. Union thugs

Fire them all, and replace them with scab workers!

(Do I really need a sarcasm icon here?)

[rurallib]

5. No kidding -

first thing is to get rid of that requirement to have a degree to teach at a college. I mean, is that really necessary in a world where "It's God's will" or "God made it that way" answers 99% of all questions?