Responding to the recent effort by many graduate assistants to consider unionization, Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw sent a letter to teaching assistants pointing out the negative effects that such a move would have.

The letter, which was dated March 8, detailed Shaw’s opposition to the unionization. He called it a “negative intrusion into the basic structure of graduate education.” He referred to an article written in the Feb. 14 issue of The Daily Orange about the topic and said he felt he needed to inform TAs about the university’s position on the matter.

“I do not believe the unionization of graduate assistants is a positive step for our graduate students.” Shaw wrote. “It seems to me that graduate student unionization would not serve the best interests of either our graduate student body, our graduate programs, or the university as a whole.”

TAs received the letter during Spring Break.

Shaw also wrote that a graduate assistant union would hinder relations between the students and university because of the adversarial nature that comes along with an external organization.

“My belief is that the issues and concerns of graduate assistants can best be addressed and resolved by working together within the University community,” Shaw wrote.

Ray St. Denis, president of the Graduate Student Organization, refused to comment on the topic of unionization. He said the GSO is holding a meeting Thursday in the Hall of Languages where the subject will be discussed.

Shaw is out of town and could not be reached for comment.

The issue intensified within the last year when New York University graduate student teaching assistants, after a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, successfully formed a union and became federally recognized as employees of the university. Since then, Shaw has said that he is not sure that the ruling applies to SU.

Stefanie Barraco, a TA in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said that although she empathizes with the unionization movement, she is not very motivated or involved in the possible unionization because most Newhouse TAs only serve one year.

“(Many Newhouse TAs) hate to say this, but it doesn’t really matter to us,” Barraco said.

She also said that a university reaction has been a long time coming and the acknowledgement represents an important step for the cause.

Norbou Buchler, who has been a TA for five years, said Shaw’s letter to the TA community represents a reactionary move by the chancellor instead of avoiding the situation.

“At other universities TA’s have higher pay and dental insurance,” Buchler said. “And they have unions.”

He also said that although he did not receive a letter himself, he expected any reaction from Shaw to be negative, even though the mailing would only service to educate those TAs who do not know about unionization efforts.

“It was a pretty dumb move on his part,” Buchler said.”He seems to be being very reactionary when he should be proactive.”

Published on March 19, 2002 at 12:00 pm