Thursday, November 14, 1996
RECOGNITION:
University must treat SAGE as a vital component of education
By Ron Bassilian
First off, let me state that this viewpoint is unconnected with
SAGE. I am an undergraduate student, I have not signed a SAGE card
and no SAGE member knows I’m writing this. Most of all, I do not
want them taking responsibility for the consequences of this
article.
That having been said, most of you know that SAGE has voted on a
TA, tutor and reader’s strike for the entire eighth week. Yet so
far, the attitudes regarding this strike have been pathetically
backward, and could spell disaster for the strike if it doesn’t
change.
On that note, I would like to describe some of the things I’ve
heard being said. A professor who calls himself Marxist has mixed
opinions on this strike, because he feels the undergraduates can’t
get cheated out of an education they paid for. Meanwhile, even the
greatest of the activists are wondering whether they should honor
the picket line or step foot on campus that week. The remainder are
completely in the dark or are afraid to do anything that may upset
their quarter.
First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Though the majority
of its members are supporting this strike, no one in SAGE wants it.
They’ve tried to gain recognition legally, outside the messy realm
of a strike. The chancellor’s strategy, however, has been to ignore
the union and hope it’ll go away.
Therefore this strike is the forced result of a political
impasse. Either SAGE goes on strike and a week of school is
sacrificed, or they fold up their tents and from here on take
whatever abuse the chancellor wants to heap on them. Therefore the
enigmatic picket line. For a strike to be at all successful, one
needs to understand its significance.
Let’s put it this way. In more desperate or radical times, or in
more working class strikes, people crossing the picket line got
beaten up. In almost all strikes these "scabs" need police escort
or protection, and get assaulted with all the ferocity due to a
traitor.
Yet considering this is a university, and everyone here is lost
in eternal yupdom, you have the privilege of this decision being
left entirely up to you, with no immediate personal consequences.
Never mind that if the strike fails, teaching conditions and the
quality of education at this institution will continue to go
downhill.
That doesn’t make a picket line any the less sacred. Perhaps
you’ve heard the phrase "no man is an island." Well, this is a
classic example. Any union activist will tell you that you just do
not cross a picket line.
It’s no longer just your independent decision, because your
decisions are affecting others’ lives and livelihoods. Everyone who
crosses the SAGE picket line on week eight is going to be weakening
their political power, destroying their chances of recognition and
increasing the chancellor’s confidence in his own power. This means
no one is supposed to set foot on this campus from 8-5 Monday
through Friday. If you can convince your professor to hold class
somewhere else, that is a way to show support for the strike and
rights of SAGE, while continuing your studies uninterrupted. If you
have assignments due, ask that they be due a week later, especially
since the TAs and readers aren’t going to grade them for a week
anyway.
But through this whole thing, remember this: the TAs don’t want
to go on strike. Of all the people in this university they take the
most pride in their work. They’re the ones who feel the worst about
students losing a week of instruction, and they’re the ones who’ve
been there for me my whole college career.
And regarding the fact that we paid our money and it’s our right
to uninterrupted instruction, we paid that money to the university
and the chancellor. He could have been an enlightened chancellor
who subscribed to paying TAs, tutors and readers a fair wage for
fair work. He could have at least recognized SAGE as a legal union
(which it is), and with that the fact that our TAs have rights. But
he didn’t.
Therefore the entity cheating students is the chancellor. TAs,
or anyone for that matter, shouldn’t have their livelihood cut
every time their superior feels like it. SAGE isn’t about TAs
greedily wanting more and more money while the poor chancellor is
tightening the budget belt. The university has an enormous budget,
and those who have political power always seem to have Chancellor
Young defending their interests.
As a matter of fact, the university has spent millions of
dollars of our money fighting this union. Also, have you ever
wondered why some of the construction projects seem a bit useless?
It’s no coincidence that almost every single regent is a real
estate developer. Look it up. When we’ve asked to look at the
budget or why he’s spending money on such projects, we’re generally
given the runaround or given some lame-brained excuse.
In the final analysis, I don’t have any delusions of grandeur
for this strike. If SAGE is merely recognized I will probably run
down to Mexico and buy all the fireworks I can because they deserve
one heck of a celebration.
But if nothing else, just this one week don’t think about how
you’re going to fall hopelessly behind or the implications toward
yourself, and remember that other people are involved in your
decisions. SAGE needs all the help they can get, from us undergrads
as well. I hope to see you all on the picket line.