Sounds and Fury

這真的是一場工學聯合。
在哥大的助教罷工進入第三天，傍晚在正門對面的街道舉辦了一場大型的演講場。紐約和紐澤西的工會都來伸援，旅館工人來人、體育場打掃的工人來了、作家工會來了、紐約市立大學的雇員工會來了，美國的服務業員工工會(SEIU)來了，以及美國的最大工頭AFL-CIO的主席Paul Sweeney也來現場演講。現場聚集了上千人。事實上哥大的研究生工會參與了一個更大的工會The Technical, Office and Professional (TOP) Union，而成為整體工會運動的一環>
誠如一個演講者所說的，如果連作為知識殿堂的大學都不能遵守基本的民主原則----受僱者有組工會的權利---那麼這個國家就有很大的問題了。


我感覺這樣一種罷工的性質和一般工廠罷工似乎是不同的。一般的罷工，你要不然是參與，要不然就是進工廠繼續工作。可是我們罷工行動主要是不去教課，但是仍然在校園活動。當然門口有罷工現場大家會輪流去那邊繞圈圈（這似乎是國外抗爭現場的文化），其餘時間大家可能還是在校園走來走去。於是，當你在學校的草地上、在圖書館內看到另一個人身上也別著一樣的貼紙時----或是Union Now, 或是Honor the Picket Line，你真的可以感受到雖然你們不認識，但是有一種強烈的solidarity。

更多的現場照片在這裡


美國全國勞工委員會(National Labor Relations Board)在2000年承認紐約大學的研究生工會時說得很好，教學和研究工作並不是研究生所必須做的事，他們也不能在這裡得到學分。他們的工作就是為了換取學校支付的薪水---這正是典型的雇傭勞動關係。

工會鬥爭也涉及到政治鬥爭，2000年時，美國的全國勞工委員會(National Labor Relations Board)承認紐約大學的研究生工會。但是2002年布希新提名的全國勞工委員會卻推翻了這個決定：委員會的投票結果正是共和黨委員一致反對，民主黨贊成。


一份研究指出，在有研究生工會的學校，大部分教授認為工會並不會影響惡化他們與學生的關係。
希望這些資料也可以提供國內正在爭取研究生權益運動的朋友參考。

紐約時報在2000年寫的社論很不錯。唉，連這樣主流的報紙都肯定工會，學校還不承認，實在太保守了

Unions and Universities
Editorial
The New York Times
November 25, 2000

The National Labor Relations Board made the correct move last month when it recognized the right of graduate students who work as teaching and research assistants at private universities to join unions. The universities are worried that the [National Labor Relations Board's] decision could erode student-teacher collegiality and the faculty's control over academic affairs. But their fears appear overblown. Whatever discomfort occurs will be a price worth paying for the basic right to unionize.

The question before the board was whether graduate teaching and research assistants at New York University who voted in April to organize, are employees as that term is used under the labor laws. The university said no, arguing that teaching and research duties are important parts of the students' own training. But the board found that, in general, teaching and research assistantships were not required of graduate students, nor were they granted academic credit. The graduate students worked for reward under university control --- a typical employer-employee relationship.

Some prestigious universities predicted that unions could transform collegial relationships between students and teachers into adversarial relationships and encroach on faculty prerogatives. For example, the criteria for selecting teaching assistants --- such as the grade point average they need to earn --- could become subject to collective bargaining. Universities also fear that the ruling will jack up labor costs. But the country decided nearly 70 years ago that the rights to bargain trumped the inconvenience and other costs. American graduate programs, the envy of the world, are not so fragile they cannot coexist with unions, or provide workers the rights they enjoy elsewhere in the economy.