Last weekend, graduate and teaching assistants opened their mailbox and found an old issue resurfacing.

The welcome letter, dated Aug. 28, from Vice Chancellor Deborah Freund, discouraged the idea of unionization by graduate assistants and teaching assistants.

“I share Chancellor (Kenneth A.) Shaw’s belief that unionization would be an undesirable intrusion into the basic structure of graduate education,” the letter stated. “The issues facing our graduate and teaching assistants can best be addressed by working together within the university community, rather than through an external labor union.”

The unionization issue was last raised by the university in March when Shaw sent a similar letter to GAs and TAs. After he sent the letter, the Graduate Student Organization Senate approved a motion supporting efforts to unionize GAs and TAs last April.

Although there hasn’t been much action since spring, Freund still decided to address the issue.

“It is important that we start this dialog at the beginning of the school year. That’s why I wrote this welcoming letter to the GAs and TAs,” Freund said.

Several major universities have recently experienced pressure from graduate employees for unionization, including a successful union bid at New York University last school year. GAs and TAs are also unionized at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry.

Some of the main unionization issues at Syracuse University are increased stipends, dental benefits, which are available to faculty but not GAs and TAs, eye care options and the ability to bargain collectively with the university, said Christopher McGee, GSO President.

There are also possible legal issues concerning unionizing a private university and the different union choices which include the Graduate Student Employment Union, the Communications Workers of America and the American Federation of Teachers.

Some of the newer TAs don’t feel the need for a union.

“I was surprised,” said Diana Davidson, an S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication TA. “It struck me that TAs would think of unionizing. It’s hard to believe the need for it.”

David Melia, a Newhouse TA, also didn’t have any major issues that would require a union because he’s only in a one-year program. “I could see the need for a union for people in Ph.D programs.”

The GSO has been working with Freund improving working conditions for GAs and TAs. “The vice chancellor has been very open,” McGee said. McGee will be meeting with Freund twice a month.

However, the GSO hasn’t ruled out the idea of a union and is looking at doing more research, McGee said.

“We’d like to work with the administration as much as possible, but we’re not going to commit to anything.”

Published on September 11, 2002 at 12:00 pm