The Teaching Assistants Association gathered enough member
signatures to take the next move for a strike.

The TAA had to receive enough support from its membership by
pledging to strike to demonstrate their demands.

TAs and PAs have been nearing their 10th month of contract
negotiations and work without a contract. Many TAA members believe
state negotiators have not been bargaining in good faith. They have
requested either a no-cost health benefit plan or comparable
working wages to peer institutions.

State representatives say the resources are unavailable because
of the state’s budget crisis.

The subsequent step for TAs and PAs in affected University of
Wisconsin departments to finalize a walkout vote is to send out a
paper ballot, with at least two-thirds voting “yes” to
strike. The results should be known as soon as April 19.

Jonathan Puthoff, TAA chair of publicity and TA in material
sciences and engineering, noted the importance of preparing a paper
ballot vote.

“It’s an incredibly big step,” Puthoff said,
but noted the work for getting a “yes” vote is just
beginning. “The bigger step is the actual ballots that go out
tomorrow.”

Math TA and TAA co-president Boian Popunkiov feels
graduate-student employees should follow the union’s
recommendation to strike once a decision is made.

“This is a democratic union,” Popunkiov said.
“I think TAs should follow what the union votes
for.”

Popunkiov could not name the departments that would be affected
by the work action, but he said there was a “very large
list” of affected departments, involving more than 1,000
affected TAs and PAs.

“Over 30 [departments] are on the list,” Popunkiov
said. “We’re not releasing that list to the
public…mostly for strategic reasons.”

Popunkiov stressed that the union is only asking TAA members in
affected departments to walk out, though he added,
“We’d like other members to strike as well.”

Most departments that would participate in the work action would
mostly do so in the central campus to make a greater impact.

According to a TAA press release, a March 25 membership meeting
decided the strike would consist of a two-day walkout, followed by
a grade strike. During a grade strike, TAs and PAs not turn in the
grades of their students at the conclusion of the spring
semester.

TAs at the University of Michigan voted for a similar work
action, Popunkiov said, adding the university administration
submitted to the union requests before the official work action
started.

“The university agreed with their demands, which is
exactly what we hope will happen,” Popunkiov said.

Peer university TAs have been “very supportive” and
some have even sent letters to UW Chancellor John Wiley, Popunkiov
said.

Under Wisconsin statutes, however, a strike by the TAA is
considered illegal. Office of State Employee Relations executive
assistant Susan Crawford said the TAA could be subject to fines or
discipline if they decide to strike, a proposition that does not
faze Puthoff.

“If you want to talk about civil
disobedience…we’re well aware we [would be] breaking
the law,” Puthoff said. “We’re sticking our necks
out for the principle of the thing.”