Members of the Graduate Employees Union have every right to speak out and protest in support of better benefits. But the responsibility and duty of being a good educator should keep teaching assistants and graduate employees in the classroom during this important time in the semester.
Yet despite the importance of classes running smoothly for finals, the union is planning to hold a walkout today - and could continue its strike during exam week.
Union and MSU negotiators have been bargaining since October over graduate employees’ first contract. All noneconomic issues have been resolved, including six tentative agreements signed since last week.
But Union members have said the negotiation process is going too slow, and the university doesn’t seem to be budging enough on demands for better health care and a more fair working wage.
Our teaching assistants deserve good working conditions, and we support their efforts to reach a contract that will help them better care for themselves and their families.
But the undergraduate students at this university - including the many seniors preparing to graduate - also deserve an appropriate environment to take their final exams and finish the semester.
If there is ever an appropriate moment to have a strike, now is not the time. The education of thousands of students is at stake. Many undergraduates have papers and tests due the week before finals and many of them will need extra help in preparing for their exams.
There’s also talk that, if a strike continues, some teaching assistants may not turn in grades on time. To prevent such an unfair occurrence to other students at MSU, some departments have taken steps to make sure all TAs’ grade are turned in early, or that copies of grade books are made.
It’s sad that the grades of undergraduate students would ever be used as a bargaining tool in this debate. We hope no TA would ever consider such a plot.
Provost Lou Anna Simon has said classes will continue, even if TAs will not be there.
Officials are also taking steps to remind union members that a strike would violate state law, and could result in action by the university that could include dismissal.
A strike could also jeopardize the hard work the union has put into negotiating a contract for its members.
Of course, the university should not resort to using drastic measures to respond to a strike.
Firing teaching assistants and graduate employees who participate in a strike would only remove valuable experience from the MSU community and make a bad situation even worse.
The only solution to this matter is for union and MSUofficials to get back to the negotiating table, and for both sides to be ready to make serious concessions.
Graduate employees deserve improved health care and higher wages - and MSU must protect an already-thin budget
But the way to achieve those goals is not to jeopardize the educations of thousands of other students. Graduate students should support the union, but must respect their roles as educators as a contract is worked out.
To do otherwise would just be irresponsible.
