The Graduate Employees Union is continuing to hunt for a resolution with the university concerning teaching assistant pay, and it’s time for the two sides talk over the issue in a timely fashion.

The union might seek arbitration sessions with the university after a grievance filed last week was rejected by Provost Lou Anna Simon. Union officials have until Oct. 12 to decide and inform the university.

The grievance was filed after a discrepancy was found in the way union and MSU officials interpret a clause in the union’s contract regulating TA salaries.

The provost’s office says TAs “can be” promoted to the top level of pay once they have obtained a master’s degree and four semesters of experience, but the decision is up to individual colleges. Union officials say TAs must receive the salary upgrade.

The interpretation can mean as much as a $700-per-year difference in salary. Union officials say about 200 of MSU’s 1,400 TAs have at least four semesters experience.

Clearly this is an important issue that needs to be hammered out before another semester begins. TAs shouldn’t be made to wonder the status of their raises longer than necessary.

The union formed in April 2001 and signed its first contact by May 2002. That contract came after months of negotiation and a one-day union strike.

For the two sides to live with their first contract, discussion needs to be opened. If the union has questions, the university should provide answers and vice versa. If problems arise, a compromise should be found in a timely, peaceful and respectful manner.

Perhaps it is the appropriate time for a third party to join the discussion to help the union and university iron out the situation.

The union might discover a job promotion should be at the employer’s discretion. MSU professors do not automatically make tenure after teaching for 10 years - that promotion only comes after the proper review process.

And maybe university officials will find a similar process should be applied to the teaching assistant situation. Perhaps there could be a universitywide policy put in place for TAs by the time a new contract is ready to be drawn up and implement that in the new document.

There should be a set of standard rules that explicitly outline the guidelines for TAs’ pay. And both sides should be in agreement on what those are and should be.

MSU officials and union members need to put aside their differences, come together for a resolution and bring in a third party if needed.