Teaching Assistants and other graduate student employees of the New York University have been on strike for weeks because the NYU administration has refused to recognize the union. The Graduate Student Organizing Committee, an affiliate of the United Auto Workers, had been recognized by the university and had been negotiating a contract until a recent National Labor Relations Board (appointed by George W. Bush) reversed an earlier decision, now ruling that university teaching assistants were not guaranteed the right of collective bargaining.
NYU's president John Sexton recently escalated the battle, threatening to cut off all financial support to striking students after a raucus protest by the graduate students. While the graduate student union has enjoyed strong support from the UAW, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, academics and NYU teachers and students (some of whom hold classes off campus so as to not cross the picket lines), they are asking for more support in light of Sexton's "ultimatum." While the administration has agreed to postpone this economic pressure for 2 days in order to meet with a representative committe of the GSOC, this potential cut-off of funds could be devestating for some of the strikers.
Please sign a petition in support of the strikers and consider contributing the strike fund.
Checks can be made out to: "UAW Local 2110 Strike Fund."
Send it to:
UAW Local 2110
113 University Place, 5th floor
New York, NY 10003.
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