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State University employs a large number of graduate studentsto work as teaching assistants. The teaching assistants oftencomplain about their work. They feel that faculty andadministrators demand too much. A common complaint is their lowwages. The graduate students frequently point out that they do muchthe same work as faculty members, yet they receive only a verysmall percentage of the pay that faculty members receive. They alsoclaim that faculty members frequently treat them unfairly. Teachingassistants are often asked to do large amounts of grading in veryshort time periods. Many also feel that faculty members are notvery good at communicating expectations.

In response to the dissatisfaction of the teaching assistants,a local union representing public workers has begun efforts toorganize a labor union. Union representatives have obtainedcampaign card signatures from 40 percent of the teachingassistants. An election is scheduled for next month. Unionrepresentatives have been busy making a case that the union canhelp ensure that teaching assistants are treated more fairly. Theyhave publicized statistics showing that unionized workers makesignificantly more than nonunionized workers. Universityadministrators have decided not to actively oppose unionorganization. They have simply stated that it is important forteaching assistants to have the opportunity to decide whether theyshould be represented by a labor union.

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

A majority of the undergraduate students at State Universitydon't seem to know anything about the unionization efforts. A fewpolitically active students have joined public rallies supportingthe unionization efforts. Others seem to have used the unionizationissue to complain about the quality of teaching provided bygraduate students. These students recently met with administratorsto complain about having too many graduate students as instructors.Just last week the local newspaper printed an article detailingsome of the problems experienced when courses are taught bygraduate students.

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

Question:

1. Do you think a union would help resolve the complaints ofthe teaching assistants?

2. What makes the position of teaching assistant differentfrom many jobs frequently represented by unions?

3. Do you think the administration's response isappropriate?

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