We need to make the grad employee strike at NYU a priority!

[Bill McBlueState]

Ok, I just got home from a house party to raise $$$ for the grad employee strike at NYU. There was a lot of free beer, so, um, I'll post some more in the morning when I'm more coherent.

But go here for the story.

These grad employees are getting *majorly* dicked over by an administration that is *supposedly* a bunch of liberal academics. But they're not; they're two-bit assholes.

I met Duer readmoreoften there, and she says they need our support. They do!

Like I said... more coherency later on.

[babylonsister]

1. I'll wait for your full story, but how's the snow going up there?

:hi:
There's another DUer who goes to NYU that has been fighting this, or is that you?

[Bill McBlueState]

2. no, not me

I'm at UMass.

No snow yet here!

[JVS]

3. I'm very ambivalent towards unions for grad students

I'm a grad student and I hope such a situation doesn't arise here.

[Bill McBlueState]

6. can I ask why? n/t

[JVS]

7. Because the occupation of graduate student is of quite a different...

nature than most occupations.

Frankly, I've never seen many reasons to become unionized, but rather just an attitude held by some of it being something that the graduate students should do. So maybe you'd like to explain to me why graduate students should be unionized.

[Bill McBlueState]

8. increasingly, graduate students are like any other workers

You do a job for an hourly rate that has no bearing on your education. Like anyone else, you should have the right to collective bargaining.

[JVS]

9. I don't see that as the case

Right now I'm on fellowship, so basically I get paid directly to study. But even among my colleagues who teach in the department, the task of teaching is not unrelated to education. It is necessary to have demonstrated an ability to teach the subject in order to be able to get a job in the field later. Also, I've never known any TA's that got paid at an hourly wage. In my experience a financial package is presented to the student before entering the program and it is his/her decision to accept the offer or go elsewhere.

[JVS]

4. dupe

[JVS]

5. trip