Friday, December 4, 1998
University handles grading while strike support thrives
EVENT: Administrators say protest has minor effect; TAs still
strong
By Lawrence Ferchaw
Daily Bruin Staff
After three days of striking by teaching assistants,
administrators said the effects of stopping work are limited, while
the union said participation has been strong.
The strike by the Student Association of Graduate Employees
(SAGE), which is affiliated with the United Auto Workers, began
Tuesday at eight UC campuses in an attempt to get union recognition
from the university.
While the effects of the strike have varied from department to
department, UCLA officials estimate about 5 percent of the over
1,200 teaching assistants, readers and tutors are participating in
the strike. But union officials estimate that strikers number in
the hundreds.
"Fortunately, it appears most undergraduate education is
proceeding relatively normally," said Executive Vice Chancellor
Rory Hume.
While Hume is still waiting for reports from all department
chairs, he said the work stoppage has not been widespread.
"The disruption has not been great," Hume said. "There’s been
some disruption in some areas, particularly English and psychology,
but elsewhere the effects of (the strike) have been minor, as we
understand it."
Connie Razza, an organizer for SAGE, disagreed with this
assessment.
"Participation has been really good," Razza said. "There were
200 people, at least, at Westwood and Le Conte. The numbers have
been really strong."
"The administration is obligated to present a front of as little
disruption as possible," she added.
With final exams approaching, and SAGE organizers declaring they
will continue the strike through at least the end of fall quarter
if the union is not recognized, Razza said delayed final grades or
changes in the format for final exams is possible.
The chair of the English department, Thomas Wortham, said if the
strike continues, finals will go on as scheduled, and grades will
be in on time.
"The faculty is willing to step in and do the work that is
required," Wortham said. "We want to be sure our undergraduates are
served as responsibly as possible."
The central administration has also pledged to help departments
but has not begun to hire replacements, according to Robin Fisher,
associate dean of the graduate division.
"The support will be the capacity to enlist additional people to
be involved in taking care of the workload, if necessary," Fisher
said.
For TAs who are not striking, doing extra work to make up for
striking employees could mean more money. The paperwork for extra
pay has not been filed yet, according to Fisher, but several TAs in
various political science courses have indicated that they are
covering for some of their striking co-workers. Some professors are
also covering for striking TAs.
Despite the help that TAs provide to professors in grading,
Wortham said professors are ultimately responsible for the grades
and should be able to handle the grading in time.
"We have a long Christmas vacation, don’t we?" Wortham said.
The Cesar Chavez Center for Chicana and Chicano Studies reports
that all five of its TAs are striking, while other departments
report that none of their TAs are participating in the strike.
None of the department of chemistry and biochemistry’s 140 TAs
are striking, according to Phyllis Jergenson, director of student
services.
Undergraduate students have not remained silent on the issue.
Wednesday evening, a group of about 15 students gathered outside
the door to Chancellor Albert Carnesale’s campus residence off
Sunset Boulevard to sing union-themed Christmas carols. After
singing "Deck the Halls With Recognition" and "I’m Dreaming of a
Recognized Union," among other songs, the group left "gifts" for
the chancellor.
Liz Geyer, external vice president of the Undergraduate Students
Association Council, left a box filled with blue books and scantron
forms along with a "Naughty List" that included all the UC
chancellors and UC President Richard Atkinson.
Students for Socialist Action is planning a march today to get
undergraduate students to march along with SAGE strikers. They will
meet at the Dickson Plaza fountain at 11:30 a.m. and march around
campus down to the picket line at Westwood and Le Conte.
Earlier on Wednesday, all of the UC chancellors participated in
a conference call with UC President Richard Atkinson.
"(The chancellor) did not relay that the university’s position
has changed," said Hume, who spoke with the chancellor Thursday
morning.
Though SAGE continues to strike, organizers say they would be
willing to return to work as soon as the union is recognized. Razza
said she has had no communication with the administration since the
strike began.
"The lines of communication are always open," Razza said.
With reports from Timothy Kudo, Daily Bruin contributor.
Coverage of the SAGE-UAW strike
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