When you're a member of an organization, you enjoy such benefits as the ability to participate — unless that organization is the Teaching Assistants Association.

Recently, the TAA decided to hold an election to increase the dues rate its members pay. In typical fashion, the union seemingly forgot to inform quite a few members about the actions of the organization — this writer included.

One of the graduate students in my department enlightened me last week to the TAA's upcoming election. I immediately e-mailed the TAA to inform them that I didn't receive a ballot or information about the election. I have yet to receive a response.

TAA Fair Share dues are taken out of my paycheck every month — granting myself membership in the union. And with this membership, I have the right to participate in the decisions of the union through voting. The organization's constitution guarantees its members "fair and democratic elections at all levels of the Association." This includes "due notice" of such elections.

So the question remains: where is my notice and ballot?

These questionable procedures aside, the dues rate increase proposed by the TAA is nothing more than a feeble attempt of the organization to plead for graduate students' last dime. Indeed, it seems that I'm not the only teaching assistant frustrated with the union.

Last week, a Wisconsin State Journal article highlighted the fact that many graduate students are disgruntled with the union and its handling of the contract negotiations. Many of these students are seeking partial reimbursement of their dues from the TAA.

Given the dissatisfaction many graduate students have with the union, an important question arises: why must teaching assistants face the possibility of paying an increase in dues when the TAA can't efficiently use the income they currently receive from these students?

The TAA states that "paying union dues is one of the best investments you'll ever make."

I beg to differ.

UW teaching assistants have been working for 28 months without a contract. Today will be the first collective bargaining meeting between the TAA and state negotiators since March. And I expect nothing to be accomplished.

The TAA gives several substandard justifications for requesting a dues rate increase from its members. To begin with, the TAA's affiliation with other state unions costs the organization a significant amount of money — almost half of their budget. But the TAA has nothing to show for their marriage with these unions except for stalled contract negotiations.

The union also cites the hiring of a third staff person three years ago to help with "contract enforcement" and "contract rights education" as a reason for the proposed dues increase. Strangely enough, three years is also the amount of time the union has been in contract negotiations with the state. I suspect that now might be a good time to question the effectiveness of this addition to the TAA staff.

Ironically, the TAA believes that graduate students can afford an increase in union dues. Yet the organization tells the states' collective bargainers that we are too poor to pay $11 a month in health care premiums.

Let me focus for a minute on the statistics the TAA doesn't like to share with its members.

The TAA's most recent offer to the state asked for a "status quo" with no increases in wages and free health care. Unfortunately, this makes graduate students financially worse off. Currently, an inexperienced TA with the average nine-month appointment makes $8,784. A seven percent increase previously offered by the state would increase the salary by $616. However, the TAA was willing to forgo this raise to save $99 in health care premiums. As a result, graduate students have been short changed more than $500.

The demands of the TAA to the state demonstrate the union's complete lack of understanding of politics, money, and negotiation. It's time for someone else to negotiate a contract with the state on behalf of the graduate students — without increasing our dues rate.

Darryn Beckstrom ([email protected]) is a doctoral student in the department of political science and a second-year MPA candidate in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.