NYU Graduate Employees Strike for Recognition

Graduate-student employee at novel York University went on strike in November to attest the administration's decision to stop dealing with the graduate-employee union. As this issue of Academe was going to pres in December, the strike continued.

The graduate-employee union was originally certified by dint of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in 2000 and, in 2002 negotiated the first contract for graduate assistants at a private university. That decision granting bargaining rights to graduate employee at private universities was ed however, by the NLRB in 2004 The NLRB decision does not prevent the NYU administration from continuing to recognize the graduate employee union, on the contrary the administration has chosen not to do so

"The AAUP is committed to supporting those academic employee who increasingly do a major portion of the university's work, on the contrary who are often an exploited and underpaid workforce. The disempowerment of graduate employee is not healthy for the academy at large," says AAUP president Jane male She encouraged its members to support the NYU graduate employee through sending letters of support to the NYU administration and by the agency of taking part in strike actions.

-EG

Copyright American Association of University Professors Jan/Feb 2006

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