If you're anywhere around the Twin Cities, you know that AFSCME workers at the U voted overwhelmingly to approve a strike (72% in favor). However, the University is hell-bent on doing nothing about it, and has refused to offer anything more than the offer that caused the strike vote in the first place. But as always, those greedy union fat cats are intent on ensuring a decent living standard, like the selfish bastards they are.
With the strike poised to happen next wednesday, the second day of classes, the strike support committee is busy scurrying around finding space for faculty and TAs who want to hold their classes off-campus and not cross the picket line, which is our right by law to do so.
But just today, all faculty, teaching assistants, and teaching staff received notice from wealthy academic higher-up E. Thomas Sullivan that if we hold classes off-campus, we are actually a sympathy strike (which is untrue; if we were striking, we would not be teaching) and therefore illegal actors and subject to discipline.
Now, don't get me started on the ridiculous nature of even having a notion of legal and illegal strikes. But even if you accept that idiotic legal framework, we're well inside our legal rights to refuse to cross a picket line. This is just pure intimidation, through and through. The university knows that in the cut-throat world of academic appointments and funding that it's very easy to scare grad students and younger faculty into line, and they're using our own personal interests as a way to break the power of the striking clerical workers.
Well, fuck you E. Thomas Sullivan (sulli059@umn.edu or 612-625-0051 if you want to give him a piece of your mind). We're doing it anyway, because even if it isn't legal, it's still much more important.
If you are an instructor, TA, or any teaching faculty, please contact Kris Houlton with AFSCME at 612-616-2537 to find an off-campus site for holding classes.
Si, Se Peude! Ha Wakarna! Yes, We Can!
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