Sweeney Supports UW Teaching Assistants

Strong solidarity among student workers
by Renee Barton, Free Press contributor

John Sweeney, national President of the AFL-CIO, was the keynote speaker at an October 24 rally of University of Washington Teaching Assistants, Readers and Graders who seek recognition of their union. Sweeney called upon UW President Richard McCormick to affirm the union and to honor its members' right to collectively bargain over wages, benefits and working conditions.

Last March, 80 percent of UW graduate student employees signed union cards, appointing the Graduate Student Employee Action Committee/United Auto Workers (GSEAC/UAW) as their collective-bargaining representative. The Graduate and Professional Student Senate, which represents 9000 UW graduate and professional students, formally recognized GSEAC/UAW as the legitimate bargaining unit of graduate student employees and urged the UW to begin negotiations with the union. The University, however, has yet to acknowledge the union. GSEAC/UAW will therefore vote during the week of October 30 whether or not to strike.

At the rally, Sweeney charged the UW with "mocking democracy at its most basic level" in its refusal to recognize GSEAC/UAW. Rather than "taking the high road of respect for workers and the union they wish to join," the UW, he said, is taking the "low road." Sweeney said the UW is "hiding behind claims of legal barriers," but "only barriers of contempt for workers are erected by this administration."

Sweeney noted the common cause between Washington state's 10,000 under-paid part-time community college faculty and graduate student employees. "The [part-timers'] fight is this fight and this is their fight," he said. He also noted the importance of the upcoming presidential elections on working people and urged university students to get involved in politics and vote.

Pledging support to academic student employees "for as long as it takes to bring this arrogant University to justice," Sweeney concluded his speech to a standing ovation.

Stan Sorscher of Boeing's Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) also spoke at the rally. He underscored the vital role of employees as "the people who create value" for their company or institution. He likened the UW's refusal to recognize the union to "a failed human resources strategy." He noted that institutions remain most competitive and most effective when employees are integrally involved in designing their jobs and determining their futures. ASUW President Jasmin Weaver echoed this sentiment when she said the working conditions of graduate student employees are "the learning conditions" of UW undergraduates.

GSEAC/UAW is comprised of 1,650 teaching assistants, graders and readers who are responsible for 50 percent of undergraduate courses at the University of Washington. One got a palpable sense of the graduate student employees' dedication to teaching when they gave one of the biggest rounds of applause to the undergraduate student who read his own poem about solidarity.

Washington state representatives also spoke in support of the graduate student employees. Co-speaker of the House, Frank Chopp, emphasized the overwhelming majority of graduate student employees who had signed union cards. He suggested the UW wake up to the political mandate such numbers implied. He also urged UW president McCormick to join the UW's peer institutions in recognizing graduate student employee unions. Representative Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney emphasized the professionalism of graduate student employees and the importance of collective bargaining as a tool to resolve employment issues responsibly to the satisfaction of both parties. She reminded the UW that existing law "is adequate to allow voluntary recognition" of GSEAC/UAW.

A representative of MEChA chided, "shame on the UW for pushing [GSEAC/UAW] to strike." Steve Williamson, executive director of King County Labor Council, pledged to start a strike fund for the benefit of GSEAC/UAW. Elizabeth Bunn, Vice President of the United Auto Workers, vowed, "UAW is here to stay."