University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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m; SE ERALgnuhuitc sliiileiils carry ' signs lamenting the money being wasted fighting the unionization of GSIs. The University is concerned that collective bargaining woidd disturb the graduate students ' learning experience as an instructor Working Rights By Diana Chai REVERSING A 16-YEAR OPPOSITION TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR GRADUATE STUDENT instructors. UC President Richard Atkinson announced on March 25, 1999 that the UC campuses with GSIs will hold elections to see if graduate students want to unionize. The unixersiiy v ill not oppose the board ' s decision to order these elections and ' ill respect the choice made by the students at each campus, said Atkinson. These events follow the court ruling that teaching assistants are employees with union rights. The graduate students at UCLA have since voted to be represented by the Student Association of Graduate Employees Union. The reversal of position also marks the end of a long struggle to gain collective bargain- ing rights on the part of the students. Many of the GSI ' s aren ' t griping about money, but power. Graduate students want to be recognized for the work they put into leaching students and the imporiance of their role. Many GSIs feel that they are undervalued and overworked. I know I ' m being taken advantage of, said Anni Kirkland, a legal studies GSI. Kirkland goes on to say, I am definitely a student. But 1 am also a worker who is giving the University something valuable. Graduate students teach 10 percent of the primary classes and 7b percent of the discussion sessions. Al- though they are paid for 20 hours of work per week, they often irk ihicc times that amount. GSIs do much of the grading in classes and are an integral part of undergraduate education. Maii cmly want to have the rights of a working group who con- iributes [o the University, including the right to unionize. A 4- da strike from December I to December 4, 1999 was aimed at gaining public awareness of these problems. Many graduate stu- dents were seen picketing around Sproul plaza and other heavily trafficked areas of campus. Although it was feared that the strike would interrupt undergraduate education around finals time. •f many GSIs continued to hold office hours. The strike was ended i after a bO day cooling off period was agreed upon. The University ' s position is that the work graduate stutlents 7 features

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on educationally insignificant dilTercnccs in test scores. It fesolved to ineiease divei-sitx in the school and the number of mi- goes on to allege that the policy ' s admissions b exception provi- sion . designetl to admit stuilcnts sho ma not have the academic requirements tuliilleel hut show other standing; qualities, in prac- tice. disproportionateK iasois hite students. norities. ITIie school] was surprised and saddened to see the law- suit because |the minorit groups and the school | ha e tradition- ally been allies. said jesus Mciia ol the Ollice ol Public Relations. The University is in a ditlicult situation because it wishes to Figures shou that 11.2 ' of white applicants were admitted be able to admit the same di ersity of students as in the past, but is for the fall l ' - ' )8 semester, compared to only 18» ' of Pilipino American. 19.5 () of .African American, and ZO.b ' v of Latino American applicants. They also how thai 48.2 ' of white appli- cant with a CiPA of 4.U oi higher were accepted as opposed to only ll.b ' c of Pilipino .Americans. jS. ' i of African .Americans. and 39.7% o ' Latino Americaii with similar GP.As. These figures arc cited b the plaintiffs as indications of discrimination. The law- suit is based on litle 1 v the Ci il Rights Act of 19b4 and the Fourteenth Amcnil- nient to the Lnited States Constitution. It states that the school has not justified its current criteria for admissions and that changing the policv. w hich had mitigated the impact of the other components of the admissions policy before Prop. 204. is dis- criminatory. The University ' s position is that ihc ha e the fairest polic possible within the constraints of the law. The administration ' s point is that since the law prohibits the explicit use of race and ethnicity as a criteria for admission. (Resolution .SP-1 ). they are not able to admit minority applicants by the former criteria. Ac- currently unable to change the admissions policies to guarantee such results. The school feels that the decrease in minority admis- sions is a rcnection of the problems with the K- 1 2 system. Because of disparities in the education that students receise. they are not as competitive when appl ing to college. According to University ol- ficials. affirmative action used to bridge the gap between disad- vantaged students and the lest. but it has been eliminated. Since it is gone, the Universitv must find dif- ferent wa s to addiess the problem, such as using outreach program to increase the qualitv of educatiim lor disadvantaged students. lAcn though many student groups on campus are dedicated to this cause, the Liniversitv fecL that the se)lution needs to go lur- ihei ' . The soonei the problems with the K-12 system are addressed, the sooner the di eisit ol the school can be improved. It remains to be seen what the results of this lawsuit will be. but one thing remains certain. The issues of diversiiv and equal opportunities for higher education remain important to the present cording to the office oi Public Information, the University is still and future students at Cal. By Diana Chai Photo, page 24, by Arcadio Lainez Photo this page by Dan Thomas-Glass A STUDENT lopposilc pagcl voices her opinion in dcfcnsL ' ofciffirmalive action on the steps of Sproul Hull lit liincli lime. CONCERNED MEMBERS Uibove) of the Berkeley coiitmunity join students at an early demonstration protesting the cut in funding for tlie ethnic studies department, a move by the administration tliat many people saw as connected to the passing of Proposition 209. lawsuit 25

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do is puit of their learning cxpeiicnce. Accoiding ui Dclira Harrington, the purpose oi ' graduate sehool is to train the graduate students for roles as future i ' aeultv. The role of a graduate student instruetor is modeled after the role ot a stu- dent instruetor in piiniar and secondary educational settings. It gi es the GSTs experience in the field. While teaching courses or discussion sessions, the students gain subject knowl- edge and participate in work with the laculiv. The University feels that collective bargaining is not appropriate for this educational setting, according to lesus Mena oi the Public Re- lations Office. The collective bargaining rights would give graduate students the ability to make any demands that they IN FRONT o ' f k ' Miiriii! Luther King Ir. Sludeiil Union, llieac OSls arc picketing for the right to unionize. Ciniduiitc students icach 10 ' !• of primary classes and Ib v of discussions. AS REFLECTED )y( ;t ' posters carried )y the protesting CSIs. many graduate students feel that they are under- appreciated for their role in undergraduate education. want. .According to L ' C President Richard Atkinson, this could he distLirhing to the acadeniic system and to the education (.)! the graduate students. The graduate student at Berkeley are the highest paid out i.il all public univer- sities, including those in which graduate students are unionized. According to a fact sheet published bv the University, onlv four private universities, out ol 1 1 that compete with Berkelev for graduate stu- i dents, pay higher stipends to graduate stu- I dents. There is also a grievance procedure ' for GSI ' s with concerns, lesus Mena said that the University recognizes that there are legitimate issues in certain units where the graduate students carry a lot ol the load, but they feel that this can be handled internalh and doesn ' t require a union. On .April 27-29. the graduate students voted to unionize. .Approximately 70 percent of GSI ' s voted for the union with about a 70 percent turnout at the elections. The Universitv will still reserve the right to make decisions about acadeniic judge- ment, but w ill bargain over employment issues. Onlv time will tell whether unionization will help or hinder the educational system at Berkelev. gsi strike I ?