From: Trina Tocco (talkalot83@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat Apr 27 2002 - 20:18:44 EDT
>From: "Shaun Godwin" <fighttowin@email.com>
>To: midwestusas@yahoogroups.com, union-summer-orlando-2000@egroups.com
>Subject: [midwestusas] graduate victory at MSU
>Date: Sat, 27 Apr 2002 19:12:12 -0500
>
>The Graduate Employees at Michigan State University signed their first
>contract on friday. The day before there was a one-day strike which was
>just amazing.
>
>Students for Economic Justice (a USAS chapter) and Direct Action! did
>undergraduate organizing in support. Thanks to the U of Michigan folxs
>from SOLE and the GEO for all of the ideas! They really helped.
>
>
>6-26-02
>
>‘U’ reels from GEU strike
>Union members band together to form picket lines around campus
>By MEGAN FRYE and CAMILLE SPENCER
>The State News
>
>Horns were blowing and voices were cheering by the time the sun came up
>Thursday, and the wind carried the chants of about 500 graduate students
>across campus throughout the day.
>
>And although Christy Rentmeester spent Thursday moving from building to
>building to picket for her cause, the philosophy graduate student didn’t
>look worn-out. A smile grew on her face as protesters chanted, “We are the
>union, the sexy, sexy union.”
>
>The Graduate Employees Union, which formed last April, held its first
>walkout beginning at 6 a.m., with members choosing to stand on the picket
>line rather than in front of classes.
>
>Members have been negotiating since October and said they will continue to
>strike during finals week if there isn’t a contract settlement.
>
>MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said the strike was peaceful.
>People were ticketed for having amplified sound, such as megaphones, at
>Berkey Hall and the rock on Farm Lane.
>
>“They were cooperative with officers and have complied,” McGlothian-Taylor
>said.
>
>Anthropology graduate student Robert Edmondson began his day of protesting
>at 4:30 a.m.
>
>“I think all of us only got a couple of hours of sleep,” the union member
>said. “There has been a lot more support this afternoon than earlier.”
>
>Edmondson said the walkout went better than union members expected.
>
>“We’ve really had a strong mandate, and the weather is working with us,” he
>said. “The support we have today from the teachers, staff, undergraduates
>and our own union members reflects the kind of support we have in our
>negotiations with the university.”
>
>Despite the strike, some classes were held without teaching assistants.
>
>Pre-nursing sophomore Melanie Zwick said her professor stood in for her TA
>during her Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities class.
>
>“We had recitation today, and we were supposed to present our projects,”
>she said. “Everyone thought they’d have a day off.”
>
>But Zwick said she respects the union’s decision to strike.
>
>“I think it’s fair,” she said. “TAs put in a lot of time and hours.”
>
>And Zwick is not alone. About 300 rocks, each representing one
>undergraduate student who supports the union, were dumped on MSU President
>M. Peter McPherson’s office floor Wednesday by student activist groups.
>
>University officials, however, say the strike’s impact has been minimal and
>they wish to reach an agreement.
>
>“Clearly there are some classes that have not met,” MSU spokesman JT.
>Forbes said. “But this is usually the time where some classes don’t meet.
>It will probably take some time to see what classes met and what classes
>didn’t meet.”
>
>Union members said support also came from United Parcel Services, Federal
>Express and LaSalle Inc. General Contractors Construction Managers, the
>contracting company working on the Shaw Lane parking ramp. All three
>companies refused to cross picket lines Thursday.
>
>But not everyone supported the work stoppage.
>
>History junior Lea Rosen said she found out her morning anthropology class
>was canceled Thursday via e-mail from her professor. She was disappointed
>that she didn’t have the opportunity to ascertain material to be covered on
>the final exam.
>
>“I was kind of excited, but upset because we are supposed to be finding out
>about finals,” she said. “It would have been nice to review. I wish I had
>the chance.”
>
>At a noon press conference, union officials said they will negotiate for
>three hours today. University officials said Thursday they would consider
>continuing negotiations Saturday.
>
>Michael Frazier, a professor and associate chairman of the mathematics
>department, said there are six recitation sections taught by TAs on
>Thursdays.
>
>“We’ve gone to those sections, but we didn’t get news in time to replace
>TAs,” he said. “In the cases where they didn’t show up, we told students it
>was canceled.”
>
>Frazier said the lack of math TAs Thursday was a small obstacle for the
>department - but a walkout during finals week could be damaging for
>students.
>
>“It’s an inconvenience for the students reviewing for finals,” he said.
>“We’ve had to take some steps to deal with this.
>
>Staff writer Chad Previch contributed to this report.
>
>6-25-02
>Undergraduates show support for GEU
>By MEGAN FRYE
>The State News
>
>
>About 300 rocks were dumped on MSU President M. Peter McPherson’s office
>floor Wednesday, each representing one student who supports the Graduate
>Employees Union.
>
>The rocks were signed by undergraduates and collected by Students for
>Economic Justice and Direct Action. The activist groups are supporting the
>union’s one-day walkout today that could lead to a work stoppage during
>finals week because of slow contract negotiations.
>
>“The GEU doesn’t always know they have as much support as they do,” said
>David Mitchell, an SEJ member and political science sophomore. “We want to
>cause awareness. This is something we can do, an action we can take. I
>don’t know if we will influence anything, but we’ll get noticed.”
>
>MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon said a walkout would disrupt learning processes
>at the university and recommended all undergraduates attend class.
>
>“I have every expectation that all individuals responsible for instruction
>will honor their obligations,” she said in an e-mail to the university.
>“The academic progress or graduation of students should not be jeopardized
>by a walkout or other actions that conflict with the core value of
>instruction upon which we stand.”
>
>Communication sophomore Lena Piskorowski said her class was supposed to
>take a quiz, but has been canceled. Although she said there will be one
>less chance to help bring her grade up, she sees the need for a walkout.
>
>“They are teachers and a big part of the faculty,” Piskorowski said. “You
>should get health care benefits in a union. I don’t know if I’m happy
>they’re doing it now, but it’s a good time to get what they want.”
>
>John Beck, professor of labor and industrial relations, said the
>undergraduate support of the union could prove beneficial toward achieving
>the contract.
>
>“Community support is always an important thing,” he said. “The management
>may very well be limited by their perception on how widespread the support
>is. It can be quite helpful, but tactic is in the eyes of the beholder.
>
>“There will be undergraduates on all sides of this issue if there is a
>strike.”
>
>Rory Kraft, a philosophy teaching assistant and member of the union, said
>he plans to honor the walkout as a last resort.
>
>“I’m conflicted, which I think most of the people in the union are,” he
>said. “I think most of us know this is the action we need to do, but we’re
>all concerned about the impact on students.”
>
>Kraft said the last thing union members want to do is disadvantage
>students.
>
>“I think this is a clever move on the administration’s part,” he said. “By
>pushing this back from April 15, it now puts the GEU in the bad-guy role.”
>
>Engineering arts freshman Doug Snyder said he has one class where his
>teaching assistant does much of the grading. He said his professor would be
>lost without the help.
>
>“It’s smart to do it when they’re doing it,” said Snyder, who said he will
>attend class. “They will get more attention. I think everyone will still
>get everything done they need to.”
>
>And MSU’s union is not the only one receiving undergraduate support.
>
>Mark Dilley, organizer of the University of Michigan’s Graduate Employees
>Organization, said undergraduate students at U-M have been important to the
>organization’s cause.
>
>“The university always tries to pitch it that we’re hurting undergraduate
>education, but we’re forced to do what we do,” he said. “We don’t think
>we’re the ones hurting undergraduate education, we think we’re a defense in
>that.”
>
>
>--
>
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Trina Tocco
1310 Merrill
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
cell 616-873-1000
school 616-343-6054
permanent 586-792-6484
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