The dialogue was foreclosed when Sexton, accused of filibustering when he continually responded to each speaker with long-winded and convoluted defenses of the administration’s position, stated that the administration will no longer recognize graduate assistants and teaching assistants as workers and would therefore no longer recognize the union as the appropriate “voice mechanism” for students, thus hiding behind the National Labor Relations Board decision in 2004.
Even though the university may continue to recognize the union despite the NLRB ruling, Sexton said the university will continue to grant increases in stipends and to provide healthcare and other benefits to graduate students without the union. Many participants noted the irony of Sexton’s promises, pointing out that the union is the sole reason for increased benefits enjoyed since the inception of the first contract. Supporters added that graduate students seek not only benefits (or, in this case, a promise of benefits), but a strong, independent mechanism for democratic participation in their working conditions, which can only be guaranteed through their labor union.
It is clear that Sexton and the NYU administration have already made their decision and that the Town Hall meeting, while a tremendous outpouring of labor solidarity, was merely the façade of dialogue. The community has no choice but to find other means for the voice of its collective will to be heard.
It was either Keanu or Debord who said "I know deja-fu."
EDIT: here's another account courtesy of Phoebe (who got it from the man Abbey used to call "Tony Dugs", who pulled it off Inside Higher Ed. Which is where the link goes to. Basically, that was an excuse for me to say "Tony Dugs.")
No comments:
Post a Comment