Strike Paralyzes Yale University

Yale University shut down yesterday as graduate students and non-administrative workers went on strike in support of the Graduate Employment Student Organization (GESO), according to Gordon Lafer, a GESO spokesperson.

For weeks, the GESO has conducted negotiations with the Yale administration, unsuccessfully seeking official recognition and a written contract.

Yesterday's walkout follows a planned "academic strike" on February 6 and 7 that the GESO called off after meeting with Judy Rodin, Yale's graduate school dean. Last Wednesday, after talks had failed to resolve the dispute, GESO members voted by a five-to-one ratio to go on strike.

Lab technicians and groundskeepers alike joined graduate students on the picket lines yesterday despite successful renegotiations of their own contracts on Sunday night.

"No one's cleaning rooms, the secretaries and computer technicians aren't there, the dining halls are closed," Lafer said yesterday. "The TAs [teaching assistants] aren't teaching sections, the graduate students aren't attending classes [and] 150 undergraduate classes have been moved off campus to churches and cinemas."

Yale administration officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.Negotiations are scheduled to resume today.

According to Lafer, the major points ofcontention are teaching assistant salaries, whichat $6900 are approximately $4000 below the cost ofliving in New Haven, and the lack of an impartialgrievance committee for graduate students.

Other disagreements include shortened libraryhours, high health insurance costs and the lack oftraining for teaching assistants.

Lafer, estimating that 3500 picketers turnedout yesterday, said of the situation, "this couldprobably all be settled in a day of good faithnegotiations. Basically the university has saidthat in principle they're opposed to signing acontract with us."

"What we need and what the administration isunwilling to give is a binding written agreement,"he added. "We've come to agreements with pastadministrators and seen them change...we need aguarantee that [an agreement] won't be undone byan administrative fiat."

Lafer said the GESO wants to follow the exampleof graduate student unions that have achievedadministrative recognition without resorting tolegal means.

"We're not trying to settle this in thecourts--we're trying to settle this on thestreets," he said.

Lafer described the 1350 GESO members--about 60percent of all graduate students--as "not verypolitical but fed up with the disrespectful waythe administration treats us."

The GESO has strong faculty support, accordingto Lafer. One group of professors is circulating apetition calling for a written agreement betweenthe administration and the GESO, Lafer said.

Lafer said undergraduate reaction has beenmixed, however. "Many of them don't have enoughinformation. TAs have been explaining it to theirsections...I think there's a lot of[undergraduate] support [for the GESO]," he said.

Sophomore Eliot. H. Weinbaum, member of thenon-partisan Students for a Negotiated Settlement,said undergraduates support the strikers.

"The demands of GESO really affect us directlyin terms of section size, library hours, the typeof graduate student we attract to Yale," Weinbaumsaid.

"There was a lot of confusion today...I thinkthe students have already become unhappy with thesituation, which is the point--to pressure theadministration into recognizing the GESO," headded

According to Lafer, the major points ofcontention are teaching assistant salaries, whichat $6900 are approximately $4000 below the cost ofliving in New Haven, and the lack of an impartialgrievance committee for graduate students.

Other disagreements include shortened libraryhours, high health insurance costs and the lack oftraining for teaching assistants.

Lafer, estimating that 3500 picketers turnedout yesterday, said of the situation, "this couldprobably all be settled in a day of good faithnegotiations. Basically the university has saidthat in principle they're opposed to signing acontract with us."

"What we need and what the administration isunwilling to give is a binding written agreement,"he added. "We've come to agreements with pastadministrators and seen them change...we need aguarantee that [an agreement] won't be undone byan administrative fiat."

Lafer said the GESO wants to follow the exampleof graduate student unions that have achievedadministrative recognition without resorting tolegal means.

"We're not trying to settle this in thecourts--we're trying to settle this on thestreets," he said.

Lafer described the 1350 GESO members--about 60percent of all graduate students--as "not verypolitical but fed up with the disrespectful waythe administration treats us."

The GESO has strong faculty support, accordingto Lafer. One group of professors is circulating apetition calling for a written agreement betweenthe administration and the GESO, Lafer said.

Lafer said undergraduate reaction has beenmixed, however. "Many of them don't have enoughinformation. TAs have been explaining it to theirsections...I think there's a lot of[undergraduate] support [for the GESO]," he said.

Sophomore Eliot. H. Weinbaum, member of thenon-partisan Students for a Negotiated Settlement,said undergraduates support the strikers.

"The demands of GESO really affect us directlyin terms of section size, library hours, the typeof graduate student we attract to Yale," Weinbaumsaid.

"There was a lot of confusion today...I thinkthe students have already become unhappy with thesituation, which is the point--to pressure theadministration into recognizing the GESO," headded