NEWS
TAs and PAs walk out, ready to face circumstances
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Also by Matthew Dolbey:
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- Yale employees end strike (March 10, 2003)
- TAs vote to strike, reject state offer (April 20, 2004)
- TAA pickets UW buildings, garners negative response from some legislators (April 28, 2004)
- TAs and students return to class as normal (April 30, 2004)
- Not crossing the line (April 29, 2004)
by Matthew Dolbey
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
The Teaching Assistants’ Association voted to continue plans for the two-day walkout of classes and work at a Monday night general-membership meeting that drew more than 500 graduate students.
Many students will see their TAs and University of Wisconsin project assistants walking picket lines around academic buildings starting at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and continuing through Wednesday night. TAs and PAs in departments affected by the strike plan on returning to their positions Thursday, but the threat of a grade strike at the conclusion of the semester still lingers. TAA co-president Boian Popunkiov said the grade strike could be called off at a follow-up meeting; but as of today, he said the TAA intends to go forward with the plan.
UW said on its news website that administration will be able to deliver students’ grades through designating a task force obligating TAs and PAs to hand over undergraduates’ scores at the conclusion of the semester. However, David LaCroix, a TAA steward from UW’s English department, doubted the task force would even form effectively, let alone successfully attain the grades.
The job action results from 10 months of TAA and Office of State Employee Relations negotiations that failed to find common ground for a contract. However, TAA representatives still plan on scheduling bargaining sessions with OSER negotiators after the work stoppage, which will affect more than 1,200 TAs and PAs.
The state’s most recent offer during Monday’s bargaining session redistributed some of the 4.6 percent average salary increases throughout different classifications of TAs and PAs. OSER also asked the graduate-student employees to contribute monthly health-care premiums of $9 for individuals and $22.50 for families until July, where the co-payments would increase to $11.00 and $27.50 for individuals and families, respectively.
However, Popunkiov said this was not enough for the union membership to accept, citing health care as a “main issue” of contention.
“We have not been able to reach a contact with the state after 10 months of bargaining, so the membership voted to go ahead with the strike,” Popunkiov said from a prepared statement. He added some of the members would still receive pay cuts under OSER’s newest proposal “before inflation.”
However, Popunkiov acknowledged Wisconsin’s budget crisis and added that the TAA’s proposal, which would eliminate health-care premiums but offer a smaller salary increase, would actually save the state more than $300,000.
“[The important thing to note is] we’re saving taxpayer money,” he said.
Popunkiov also stressed the importance of having such a strong showing at their meeting, saying this was a big statement sent to state legislators.
“This is the largest membership meeting in any grad-employee union history,” Popunkiov said.
Reporters also quizzed Popunkiov on whether the 500 members that showed up accurately depicted the 1,200 about to be affected by the work action.
“I think this is a very strong voice to go forward with the plan,” he responded.
Popunkiov asked all students to “walk in solidarity with us” and also urged all campus and community members to “respect the picket lines.”
UW Provost Peter Spear thought it unfortunate the TAA voted to strike, but added students are still welcome to go to class.
“It’s unfortunate they weren’t able to reach a deal with the state and the TAA,” Spear said. He added the TAA promised him the picket lines would be “peaceful and non-confrontational.”
UW professors are reacting to the planned walkout differently — some have cancelled class, others plan to continue class in the lecture halls, and others have moved their classes outside of the picketed buildings to Bascom Hill, Library Mall or a variety of downtown locations.
