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Please read the case and answer the questions at the end. Please respond to two of your peers. Do you agree or disagree?

State University employs a large number of graduate students to work as teaching assistants. The teaching assistants often complain about their work. They feel that faculty and administrators demand too much. A common complaint is their low wages. The graduate students frequently point out that they do much the same work as faculty members, yet they receive only a very small percentage of the pay that faculty members receive. They also claim that faculty members frequently treat them unfairly. Teaching assistants are often asked to do large amounts of grading in very short time periods. Many also feel that faculty members are not very good at communicating expectations.

In response to the dissatisfaction of the teaching assistants, a local union representing public workers has begun efforts to organize a labor union. Union representatives have obtained campaign card signatures from 40 percent of the teaching assistants. An election is scheduled for next month. Union representatives have been busy making a case that the union can help ensure that teaching assistants are treated more fairly. They have publicized statistics showing that unionized workers make significantly more than nonunionized workers. University administrators have decided not to actively oppose union organization. They have simply stated that it is important for teaching assistants to have the opportunity to decide whether they should be represented by a labor union.

Some faculty members are sympathetic to the concerns voiced by graduate students. They publicly state their concern that wages are too low. They also express frustration when they see some of their colleagues take advantage of students by assigning them large amounts of work to complete in short time periods. Other faculty members are less sympathetic. These professors talk about how they were treated even worse when they were graduate assistants. They seem to find joy in looking back and telling war stories about “the old days.” They seem to think that working hard for little pay is a right of passage that helps prepare students for future careers. Overall, the faculty at State University thus seems to be about evenly split in their support for student efforts to unionize.

A majority of the undergraduate students at State University don’t seem to know anything about the unionization efforts. A few politically active students have joined public rallies supporting the unionization efforts. Others seem to have used the unionization issue to complain about the quality of teaching provided by graduate students. These students recently met with administrators to complain about having too many graduate students as instructors. Just last week the local newspaper printed an article detailing some of the problems experienced when courses are taught by graduate students.

As a community, State University thus seems to be quite divided over the unionization issue. No matter who prevails in the election, it seems likely that a large number of people will be unhappy with the result.

Question:

1. Do you think a union would help resolve the complaints of the teaching assistants?
2. What makes the position of teaching assistant different from many jobs frequently represented by unions?
3. Do you think the administration’s response is appropriate?
4. If you were a graduate student at State University, would you vote for the union? Why?

   Reply:

First peer below

Hello everyone,

Do you think a union would help resolve the complaints of the teaching assistants?

I personally do think that a union would help resolve some of the complaints. A union can help filter what are really issues that need to be addressed as well as better organize the members in this case teaching assistants to rally when they are being wronged. A well put together union would be able to offer trainings on how to better represent themselves and how to speak to the higher ups without getting in trouble. Having a union would overall give them a better understanding of their rights.

What makes the position of teaching assistant different from many jobs frequently represented by unions?

The big difference I see from the unions I know about is that the teaching assistant job is only temporary. Teaching assistants will only be that for a set period of time and then they will become a member of faculty that they are complaining about right now. Their ultamite goal is to be a teacher, faculty member or administrator. Most unions that I have seen have the same members for years and they educate those same members.

Do you think the administration’s response is appropriate?

I think that the administrators did good and bad. They did good in the sense that they did not fight the assistants about joining a union. That to me at least shows that they are willing to work with the assistants and the union. Companies that are taking advantage of their workers would never want a union to come in. I feel they did bad in not looking into the concerns themselves instead of letting it get to the point that a union does have to come in.

If you were a graduate student at State University, would you vote for the union? Why?

I would vote for the union. I do not agree that the assistance should be earning the same or doing less work than the faculty member because those faculty members earn their share. But the working conditions of the assistance does need to get better. They should not be put under so much stress. They have a timely manner to be able to complete the work that is being asked of them. Another reason I would vote yes is because students are paying university fee to be taught by the professor not the assistance. I think that with the union coming on campus will put a limit on how many lessons the assistant gives

Reply:

Second peer below

1. I think so the Union will help to resolve the issues of the teaching assistants. First of all, Union can negotiate a pay increase. Secondly, also they can provide better benefits, and lastly, the Union will reduce the workload from the teaching assistants.

2. The difference is that unions usually represent workers for the long term. In this case, the teaching assistant most likely will not stay after graduating. However, during their time at the university, they will gain many benefits from the Union representation and might decide to stay and have a long-term job.

3. Administration response is appropriate, and also if they decide to encourage the workers, it might backfire on them. Management made an excellent decision to let them choose about the Union representation.

4. I’m a Union member, so I would prefer to join them at the State University as well. The benefits that they can negotiate with the companies are tremendous, so definitely, my answer is yes.