The Graduate Student Employee Action Coalition (GSEAC) is affiliated with the United Auto Workers (UAW), the union with which graduate TAs, tutors, graders and readers have chosen to affiliate. In making the second resolution, the senate emphasized that it is taking no stand as a group in support or non-support of a strike by the union. Members of GSEAC/UAW recently voted to authorize a strike.

The resolutions came during a two-hour meeting at which senators, as well as other faculty and graduate students, heard from several speakers. Secretary of the Faculty Lea Vaughn gave information about what the faculty code and other regulations have to say in reference to a possible job action; Executive Director of Admissions Tim Washburn talked about the impact of a strike on undergraduate students; President Richard L. McCormick gave the administration’s position on unionization and announced University support for enabling legislation; while Ken Lang, graduate student in history and a representative of GSEAC, countered with the union’s position.

Numerous speakers - senators and non-senators - came to microphones to ask questions and voice opinions, both before and after the resolutions were introduced. Class C resolutions express the opinion of the Faculty Senate, but are not binding.

McCormick repeated the administration’s position that he has articulated in the past - a belief that TAs would be better served by collegial relationships and shared governance. However, McCormick reversed a long-standing position and said that the University would support enabling legislation in the upcoming session of the State Legislature. He urged the community to wait for a legislative framework before recognizing the union.

McCormick later explained in response to a question that a legislative framework would protect academic interests by settling such questions as who is in the bargaining unit and what issues are bargainable. But Lang and many of the faculty and students who spoke said they felt such a framework was unnecessary, that academic issues of concern to the administration could be excluded from bargaining without legislation.

GSEAC/UAW has not at this point announced a strike date, but if it does, many speakers warned, a crisis could occur that would affect the University’s ability to get student grades out on time and thus jeopardize everything from financial aid to employment for undergraduates.

The full text of the resolutions as well as Vaughn’s remarks are posted on the Faculty Senate’s Web site, http://www.washington.edu/faculty/facsenate/. The minutes of the meeting will be posted on the site as soon as they are completed. An additional site is available giving further information about the situation, http://www.grad.washington.edu/taunion.htm.