Friday, June 5, 1998
SAGE votes to strike in fall
UNION: Details haven’t been released, but advocates say action
will be most disruptive
By Ann Hawkey
Daily Bruin Contributor
After last year’s strike failed to sway administrative opinion,
academic student employees throughout the University of California
have voted to strike again in the fall quarter.
Emboldened by a recent Public Employee Relations Board (PERB)
ruling, SAGE advocates are billing the upcoming strike as more
disruptive than any strike ever held on campus. Although they will
not reveal specifics of the strike itself, much of the strike’s
power will come from the number of academic student employees
involved and the cooperation among the different campuses.
"The campuses realized that the university seems to be making
all its decisions on a system-wide basis," said Connie Razza, SAGE
activist and member of the SAGE executive board. "It’s important
for all the unions to do the same and to work together."
Results released Thursday show 87 percent of votes cast on the
seven campuses are in favor of a strike. Balloting has not yet
taken place on the UC Davis campus. The balloting involved 4,200 of
the 7,500 academic student employees working on the seven campuses,
and drew 1,300 votes from UCLA, with 1,100 in favor.
Although the vote does authorize a strike in the fall, it does
not necessarily mandate one.
If the administration recognizes SAGE before fall quarter
begins, the strike will be unnecessary.
"One of the reasons for holding the strike vote so far in
advance is to have the room to decide on the form of the strike,
and to give us the room not to strike," said John Medearis, SAGE
spokesperson.
The administration, however, is not likely to budge on its
stance against the union.
"Collective bargaining would disrupt the educational atmosphere
for the university. The university is opposed to it and will not
recognize SAGE," said Jim Turner, assistant vice chancellor of the
graduate division.
"I cannot imagine a strike disrupting that decision," he
continued.
This lack of concern over the strike comes partially from the
perceived ineffectiveness of the 25-day strike held on five
campuses last year.
"The strike was not all that disruptive," said Turner. "The
majority of TAs and Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) did not
take part."
SAGE advocates feel that the next strike will have a more
powerful impact, with many more academic student employees taking
part, and with all eight campuses possibly involved.
Because of the large amount of support for the strike among TAs,
the strike does hold the potential to have a major negative impact
on undergraduate studies.
"We’re going to try to be sure it’s not disruptive to
undergraduate education, but unfortunately, that seems to have
given the administration too much leeway in the past," Razza
said.
SAGE supporters recognize the potentially harmful effects of the
strike, but also feel Chancellor Albert Carnesale has the ability
to prevent the strike.
"Chancellor Carnesale has the ability to act in the best
interest of undergraduate education and to respect the interests of
the people who make it happen," said Joanna Brooks, president of
the graduate students association (GSA).
The administration has refused to recognize SAGE for a number of
reasons. The administration views TAs and GSRs as students, not
employees.
"Those in the academic degree program are supported; they are
paid to go to graduate school," Turner said.
"Teaching and graduate research are a part of graduate education
– an intimate part. It’s not considered work; it’s considered
apprentice training," he continued.
The administration also feels that UCLA already acts in favor of
graduate student employees, because the school wishes to stay
competitive in attracting the highest quality students throughout
the nation and the world.
In addition, Turner argues, "there is no evidence that when you
bring in unionization, that the is an increase in benefits."
Despite the continued refusals by the administration to
recognize SAGE, supporters of the union are still hopeful. The
recent PERB decision at UC San Diego that recognized TAs, readers
and tutors as employees with collective bargaining rights, combined
with the large support for the strike, has encouraged SAGE
activists.
"Historically, things have never looked so good as they do now,"
Medearis said.
Daily Bruin file photo
With an emboldening report from the Public Employee Relations
Board, 87 percent of SAGE members vote to strike in the fall.