After picketing for five hours, Jessica Goodkind and her sign needed a break.
Both of them looked tired.
Goodkind, president of MSU’s Graduate Employees Union, had been marching since 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and had started feeling the bite of the wet weather at noon.
Union members were in day one of a two-day informational picket. The picket is taking place because union members think contract negotiations with the university are going too slowly.
The union was formed last spring and has been negotiating with MSU officials since October for its first contract.
Students walking the wet campus streets near Erickson Hall on Wednesday could hear the chants coming from the union members.
“One of the things that impresses me the most, is that even though its raining, we’re still all out here,” Goodkind said.
“That to me shows that people are really determined about this.”
Goodkind had to step inside the halls of Erickson because she was told her face had turned purple from the constant beat of the rain.
But she thinks support from students - undergraduates, in particular - will keep her going.
“I’ve had quite a few people stop and ask me more details about what is going on,” she said. “We have a few undergrads picketing with us.”
GEU officials said about 20 undergraduates were marching with the union.
Goodkind said the union focused on busy spots on campus to concentrate on undergraduates.
“So many undergraduates are taught by TAs,” she said. “I think for the most part they appreciate what graduate students do and how hard we work.”
Union members are hoping to gain a better health care package.
Robert Edmondson, a union member who teachers Integrative Social Sciences, held a huge banner on Farm Lane across from Erickson that read, “Our Healthcare Makes Us Sick.” He also was handing out fliers telling students to call MSU President M. Peter McPherson to tell him that students support collective bargaining.
“It’s demonstrations like these that can show the administration that if we wanted to, we could mobilize a walkout or a picket,” he said. “Something like this - two days worth - it’s hard to ignore.”
University officials declined to comment on the picket or the state of the negotiations. The talks are off until after spring break when Sam Baker, MSU’s assistant vice president of human resources, returns to town.
MSU Trustee Colleen McNamara said she hopes the union and administration can come up with a contract by the end of the semester. She also said pickets have been successful in unions before.
“I think it’s quite appropriate,” she said. “They are not (hiding) anything - it’s drawing attention to the issue.”
Several students could be seen crossing the street to avoid the circle of picketers, but Tina Aleshker made her way through them.
She said she thinks the union may not be successful getting its message across with the picket, but it was worth a listen.
“As a student, we don’t always know what’s going on with our grads and our TAs,” the general management junior said.
“The way I see it, if the university needs TAs and grads to be teaching the classes, they should at least have a contract. It’s better than going elsewhere and getting other people to teach our courses than actual MSU grads.”
