Graduate Student Strike
As most of you probably know the graduate students at NYU have been on strike for a while now. I'm not really interesting in discussing the merits of such activities right now, because I really don't know enough details (although, if striking could get me out of this blasted staff fee and into less expensive, reasonably located parking, I might consider it). But apparently these striking grad students have affiliated themselves with the UAW. Does that strike anyone other than me as being just a touch strange? What could the average UAW member possibly have in common with phD candidates aside from standing to benefit monetarily from collective barginning? I don't know about the UAW, but it seems like the students might actually have something to lose by allying themselves this way. As much as we hate to admit it, alot of the academic world is about prestige and living in that ivory tower above the unwashed masses. Doesn't a grad student lose a bit of that by saying, "I'm part of the UAW"? (no offense toward the UAW or its members is intended, 'cause let's be honest, I'm from Michigan) It's all very strange to me.
Read an article about the strike in the Opinion Journal here.
Read an article about the strike in the Opinion Journal here.
posted by Victoria at 1:16 PM
3 Comments:
Weird. I hadn't heard anything about this yet -- probably because we haven't been getting our paper recently. I definitely agree that the whole thing sounds odd.
As an NYU grad student and GSOC- UAW member involved in this labor struggle, I wanted to let you know that there is nothing odd in being an academic worker and being affiliated with the UAW. We won a historic first contract in 2002 for a grad employee union at a private university, and have in fact been represented by the UAW since then.
When we first began to organize our union in 1998, we chose the UAW for its strong history. The UAW represents the largest number of graduate employees in the country - including GAs in the University of California system, University of Washington, and U Mass. Our local union - Local 2110/UAW, which GSOC is a part of, also represents many white collar and professional workers in NYC: curatorial and admin staff at the Museum of Modern Art, writers & editors at the Village Voice, staff at the NY Historical Society, clerical and support staff at Barnard, Columbia, and Mercy College, etc.
Additionally the UAW has been representing technical office and professional workers for many decades, and counts within its ranks the National Writers Union.
All that being said, my involvement with the union has enriched my experience and understanding of working conditions of all sorts across different industries and workplaces, and I feel quite inspired by being in a union that has traditionally and vernacularly been associated with auto workers. This diversity makes for a strength and solidarity, and the UAW's history is a rich and progressive one.
-NYU Grad Student & Proud Member of GSOC, Local 2110/UAW
First of all, to our friend at NYU: thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Secondly, God bless the UAW, from the daughter of a GM retiree. You guys know why. Maybe more on that in a future post. Shoot. I have just become so lame and egotistical that I refer to my own future posts in the comments section. Oh well. Nevermind.
Thirdly, way to make our blog nationally relevant, Victoria. Now, when Dennie Hastert comments on our blog, we will really know that we have arrived. ;)
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