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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.

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