Day one of the MSU’s Graduate Employees Union strike went on as scheduled today with canceled classes and teaching assistants picketing.

University officials, however, say the strike’s impact has been minimal.

“Clearly there are some classes that have not met,” MSU spokesman JT. Forbes said. “But this is usually the time where some classes don’t meet. It will probably take some time to see what classes met and what classes didn’t meet.”

Union and administration officials say negotiations have stopped for today and haven’t been ongoing since about 1:30 a.m.

Negotiations will pick up again Friday from 1-5 p.m. - with the addition of a state mediator, Graduate School Dean Karen Klomparens said.

“I think the first day he could join us was Friday and we had to follow his schedule,” Klomparens said. “The university wanted to do that last week and the GEU wanted to continue to try to reach an agreement without one.”

The union, formed in April 2001 and negotiating its first contract, is still looking to settle on issues of salary and family and child care.

For extended coverage of the union and today’s strike, see Friday’s edition of The State News.