Call for the "largest labor action in higher education history"

boing
1

Originally published at: Call for the "largest labor action in higher education history" | Boing Boing

…

11 Likes
2

5 Likes
3

Ummm… rely on a Twitter account for updates? Let’s see: does it have blue checkmark?

4

From the inside higher ed article, on non-tenure track schlubs… :

And while the UC system’s nontenured lecturers are contractually prohibited from participating in sympathy strikes, they’ve stated that they will not assume striking workers’ duties.

And…

The UC’s non-tenure-track faculty union, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, nearly went on strike last year over job stability concerns. A labor action was averted when the union and the UC agreed on job protections for instructors after one year of service, instead of six. The lecturers’ new contract forbids participation in sympathy strikes, but the union told the system’s Office of the President in a public letter that it “objects to the transfer of any work from UAW members to UC-AFT members. In addition, UC-AFT will defend our members’ right to academic freedom and we will resist any encouragement by the administration to relax standards or modify pedagogy in order to accommodate the university’s failure to reach an agreement with UAW.”

So, lecturers (and presumably part-timers/adjuncts) are represented by a different union than this one, and had a contract already.

12 Likes
5
5 Likes
6

Good for them! A couple of decades ago, I was on strike at UC for the right to even form that union; I’m glad to see they’re going strong. Student workers have been getting shafted forever.

9 Likes
7

Good for them! But

What is wrong with this person?

1 Like
8

I don’t understand the question.

Is it odd to you that some teachers actually like to teach, and/or be in the classroom with their students?

2 Likes
9

For a grad student (remember, these are student workers that are striking)? Absolutely.

10

Hmm, okay.

Well, I think some grad students do enjoy teaching, and some do like the undergrad students they teach. Some do, after all, want to go on to careers in teaching. :person_shrugging:

5 Likes
11

Unity between workers trying to get better contracts and workplace protections for all.
We need to see more of this.

I just wonder which tack the employer is going to take to try and divide the workers this time.

2 Likes
12

That’s exactly why I’m where I am. I taught my first course as a last-semester Senior; I taught all through grad school, and looked for a “teaching” faculty position after graduation. I found one, and have held it long enough that I’m now the senior person in my department. All because I enjoyed helping people learn.

Perhaps that’s unusual; it never felt so to me, but then I might be biased… :slight_smile:

4 Likes
13

Great that it worked out!

I imagine that the fact that you actually like to teach helped you get a job.

1 Like
14

I realize that I’m immensely fortunate. My school is trying to morph into a research school, but I continue to get enough “thank you” letters from former students that I don’t worry too much about it.

What’s the old saying - “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life”? It’s not quite that rosy - along with teaching comes grading, and immense amounts of bureaucratic stuff - but on the whole, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Plus, I get to warp young minds. What’s not to like? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

4 Likes
15

This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.