‘This University Works Because We Do’

Striking graduate teaching assistants at UC Irvine encouraged undergraduates Tuesday to show up at their regularly scheduled classes and demand instruction, in an attempt to show administrators how important their work is to the campus.

They also asked faculty members to continue their duties but avoid grading papers and other work normally completed by teaching assistants.

“This university works because we do,” said Marty Otanez, a graduate student in anthropology.

In the first day of the strike, about 80 to 100 members of the Student Workers Union, an affiliate of the United Auto Workers, picketed in the courtyard of the campus’ main entrance in full view of the administration building. The striking student workers seek university recognition of their union so that they can open negotiations on pay, benefits and workload.

University officials in Irvine and seven other UC campuses are locked in a dispute with graduate student employees over their status. The university sees them as students whose research, teaching and tutoring jobs are part of their education while they are completing graduate and doctoral studies. The students say they are employees who sometimes teach classes outside their field of research and often do more teaching than simply reviewing classwork.

It was unclear on the first day of the strike how many student employees would participate, and how much disruption the labor dispute would cause during the last week of classes before finals.

James Burnett, a junior engineering major from Anaheim, headed to an 11 a.m. discussion group for his U.S. Ethnic and Racial Cultures class, hoping for a quick review before he writes the final paper. He was dismayed to learn he was the only one to show up.

“I would’ve liked to have talked to the TA about some things,” Burnett said. “This will make it more difficult but not necessarily impossible.”

Many strikers said they regretted walking out on their students just days before final exams begin.

“It’s a huge concern for me,” said Henry Velde, a 28-year-old graduate student in math. “Yesterday, I did a two-hour review for my students.”

But Velde, who taught 109 students in two discussion groups, said the strike was important too.

“This is an ongoing debate about the quality of education in California,” he said. “This university is not devoting the resources it has to its mission of educating students properly.”

James Danziger, the dean of undergraduate education at UC Irvine, declined to estimate how many of the campus’ 800 or so graduate student employees declined to show up for class Tuesday and downplayed any disruption caused by the strike.

“The impact is quite modest on the campus,” he said.

But Michelle Grisat, a union spokeswoman, said, “There are thousands of undergraduates at UCI that this is going to touch.”

Actual numbers of strike-breakers may never be confirmed. Kim Richman, a third-year graduate student in the department of social ecology, said she was disappointed to see just three or four other teaching assistants from her department honor the strike.

Dan Bindman, a third-year graduate student in math, said he plans to cross the picket line for his class today and continue working.

“We really get a sweet deal,” he said. “There are lots of nice benefits and flexible hours.”

William Parker, the associate executive vice chancellor at UCI, said department chairs will decide whether to hire replacement workers. None have been hired so far, Parker said, but some departments may need help grading final exams, which will be administered next week.

Union organizers said the strike will end shortly after final grades have been decided for students, in about two weeks.

* SYSTEMWIDE MOVE: Walkout at eight UC campuses was designed to hit when it hurts: right before finals. A1