Monday, November 18, 1996
SAGE:
Carefully review strikers’ position before joining the
walk-outBy William Lay
I received a pamphlet in my mailbox today from the Student
Association of Graduate Employees (SAGE/UAW) regarding the upcoming
strike. I am not a member of SAGE, nor do I intend to observe the
strike next week. I did, however, read the pamphlet in great detail
and came across two grievances made by SAGE which I felt obligated
to comment upon:
1. "Undergraduate tutors receive less pay for the same work as
their graduate colleagues."
Doesn’t this make sense? Shouldn’t our pay be commensurate with
our degree? I am elated by the fact that my degree actually means
something to someone in terms of remuneration. The only other
institution to recognize my physics bachelor’s degree is my auto
insurance company, who has graced me with a 5 percent scientist
discount. Yippee.
2. "The administration unilaterally imposed DCP (Defined
Contribution Plan) Â an almost 9 percent deduction from wages
 on ASEs (academic student employees) working more than 50
percent time and those working during the summer sessions."
My understanding of the law is that when an academic student
employee works more than half time or is not enrolled in 12 units,
they do not receive the tax benefits afforded "full-time students"
(as defined by the law) and must pay Medicare and Social Security
taxes. Instead of paying monies into Social Security (which we may
very well never see again!), we pay 9 percent into DCP. The DCP
funds are available to us (after taxing the interest) when we
terminate our employment with UCLA. I relish the notion of a "nest
egg" awaiting me on graduation day to be applied to my student loan
or more likely be rolled over into my graduation party general
funds.
I realize that these are only two points of a much larger issue,
but (if you’ll excuse the blatant Monty Python reference) I’m sick
and tired of being told how sick and tired I am by SAGE. I have
been a teaching assistant (TA) for four years in the department of
physics and astronomy and have been extremely well treated. SAGE
might suggest that I’ve had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes
by the administration. I doubt it.
I know that my positive UCLA employment experience may not be
shared by TA’s in other departments. Namely, many of us are aware
of this North Campus-South Campus dichotomy (with a symbolic
Mason-Dixon Line running somewhere through Kinsey Hall), with each
faction having its own set of grievances. I’ve heard some genuine
"horror" stories from my friends to the north. I intend no
disrespect to my colleagues, but is it possible that departmental
policies (such as TA workload and international student fees, in
some cases) are becoming confused with those of the university. My
hope is that each ASE will carefully review SAGE’s positions before
determining whether or not striking will best serve their interests
and the interests of their students.